Industrially, laurel oil is prepared from the fruits, which may also be used as a spice. Sensoric quality Aromatic and slightly bitter. Origin Probably Asia Minor. Today, the laurel tree grows all over the Mediterranean.
Turkey is one of the main exporters.
Although the winners of the famous Olympic games, held every four years beginning in 776 in Olympia in honour of Zeus, were originally decorated with a wreath of olive twigs, the later use of laurel wreaths is more known today. In contrast to the majority of leave spices, bay leaves can be cooked for several time without much aroma loss. After manual plucking and sorting, the leaves are quickly dried without exposure to sunlight. High-quality bay leaves are easily recognized not only by their strong aroma, but also by their bright green colour. The greener the colour, the better the quality.