Topic: Bay Leaves

[qprbob]

A lot of recipes call for Bay Leaves, I know they are the Asian type, but having no Asian grocery on the IOW can you substitute with normall bay leaves or are they best omitted,

[Roti]

A lot of recipes call for Bay Leaves, I know they are the Asian type

I think youre probably being overly presumptious qprbob.  I dont think most people know.  But id use whatever is to hand, though they are completely different.

[SnS]

See here

http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=2208.0

[matt3333]

A lot of recipes call for Bay Leaves, I know they are the Asian type, but having no Asian grocery on the IOW can you substitute with normall bay leaves or are they best omitted,

There is a huge difference between the 2 types, the link below for TRS bay leaves shows the correct ones to use-
http://www.theasiancookshop.co.uk/cinnamon-leaf--tej-patta--tejpat--indian-bay-leaves-2178-p.asp
Matt

[Cory Ander]

A lot of recipes call for Bay Leaves, I know they are the Asian type, but having no Asian grocery on the IOW can you substitute with normall bay leaves or are they best omitted,

Hi QPRB,

Which specific recipes are your referring to?  I'm not sure either are used much in BIR cooking (maybe more so in traditional Indian cooking?).

I've used them in pilau rice, but I prefer to use European (the single vein) bay leaves for this (if I use any at all).  Asian bay leaves (cassia leaves) can be pretty overpowering.  I'm not even sure I like their taste or smell and haven't ever really detected it in BIR cooking.

I think when people refer to "bay leaves" in recipes, they often mean the more common European ones.  But who can really tell if they don't actually say! 

They definitely taste and smell very different though!  I would say that one is not really a substitute for the other.  A little piece of cassia bark or cinnamon stick (or powder) would be a reasonable substitute for Asian bay leaves though.

Maybe suck it and see?