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Bay Leaf

Bay leaf is an aromatic leaf used to season soups, stews, sauces, rice dishes, and braises.

Bay Leaf — illustrative ingredient image

About Bay Leaf

Bay leaf is a whole aromatic leaf used to infuse flavour into food during cooking and usually removed before serving. Its aroma is herbal, woody, and resinous, with a flavour that becomes noticeable during simmering rather than through direct eating.

Bay leaf is added to soups, stews, sauces, braises, stocks, rice dishes, and bean or meat preparations. It is sold as whole dried leaves, fresh leaves, broken pieces, or ground seasoning, depending on the product.

Dried leaves are commonly olive green to brown, firm, and brittle, while fresh leaves are more flexible and darker green. Broken or ground forms change how the leaf is incorporated and whether it can be removed. The name covers leaves from different culinary bay traditions, so appearance and intensity can differ.

Ingredient type
seasoning

Forms & related ingredients

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Where bay leaf appears

20 linked foods

Find foods to recognise by country and type. Recipes and products vary; these are recorded ingredient connections.

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Main dishes

Sides

Snacks

Soups

Rice dishes

Ingredient connections awaiting review · Coverage is still growing, including packaged snacks.

Name examples awaiting language review. Confirm the specific food or product.

Local names for bay leaf

Names and romanised forms to recognise on menus and labels.

English

Bay leaf

English

bay leaf (dried)

Search alias · Not a confirmed translation

Available names only. Languages may be spoken in other countries; a name alone does not identify every ingredient in a dish.

Bay Leaf nutrition & diet

Bay Leaf nutritional value

Spices, bay leaf

Per 100 g of the edible portion in the recorded food form.

Calories
313kcal
Protein
7.6g
Carbs
75.0g
Fat
8.4g

Reference values for the specific food form shown. Other varieties, brands and preparations can differ.

Portions & preparation

Use bay leaf primarily as a flavoring and remove whole leaves before serving. Compare fresh and dried forms separately, since preparation changes weight, intensity, and the amount actually consumed in a dish.

Compare the right form: Match references to dried or fresh bay leaves, whole or ground, and distinguish the discarded leaf from the infused edible portion.

Diet considerations

Bay leaf is plant-derived. Compatibility usually depends on the surrounding recipe, including animal stock, dairy, sauces, or cereal-based ingredients. Whole leaves are commonly removed, while ground bay leaf remains in the portion and may alter the dish’s carbohydrate pattern only minimally.

AI-authored reading notes · Awaiting editorial review. Measured values, where available, have a separate source above.

Dietary compatibility

  • Vegan
    Typically compatible
  • Vegetarian
    Typically compatible
  • Pescatarian
    Typically compatible
  • Keto
    Not established
  • Paleo
    May be compatible
  • Low-carb
    Not established
  • Halal
    Not established
  • Kosher
    Not established
What these diet assessments mean
Vegan · Typically compatible
The plain ingredient profile is plant, fungal or mineral based. Added ingredients in a prepared product need a separate check.
Vegetarian · Typically compatible
The plain ingredient profile is plant, fungal or mineral based. Added ingredients in a prepared product need a separate check.
Pescatarian · Typically compatible
The plain ingredient profile is plant, fungal or mineral based. Added ingredients in a prepared product need a separate check.
Keto · Not established
A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
Paleo · May be compatible
May fit a paleo pattern, depending on the cut or form, processing and added ingredients.
Low-carb · Not established
A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
Halal · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish halal status.
Kosher · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish kosher status.

For the plain ingredient · Awaiting review. Diet compatibility is not allergy suitability or halal/kosher certification. Keto and low-carb depend on the portion.

Reviewed ingredient entryIngredient reference · Preparations vary

AI-generated illustration for visual context. It does not identify a particular product or establish allergen content.

Sources & review

Nutrition reference: USDA FoodData Central — Spices, bay leaf ↗. Values are scaled from 100 g of the recorded edible form. Individual portions have no assumed fixed weight.

Expanded overview, name examples and nutrition notes are database drafts awaiting editorial review. Numeric nutrition values, where shown, have their own source and food-form reference.

The ingredient description and dish connections come from the draft catalogue and may change after review.

Last recorded verification: .