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Mexican Bay Leaf

Mexican bay leaf is an aromatic herb used to season beans, stews, soups, and sauces.

Mexican Bay Leaf — illustrative ingredient image

About Mexican Bay Leaf

Mexican bay leaf is the dried or fresh aromatic leaf used in Mexican cooking under that name, distinct from the Mediterranean bay leaf commonly sold as bay laurel. It seasons beans, soups, stews, braises, sauces, and other simmered dishes, usually whole and removed before serving.

The leaves have a woody, herbal aroma and a flavour that can show camphor-like, peppery, or lightly anise-like notes. Sensory intensity depends on whether the leaf is fresh or dried and on how it is used during cooking.

The leaves are usually narrow and pointed. The ingredient may be sold dried or occasionally fresh; drying makes the leaves more brittle while preserving their seasoning role. Whole leaves are generally added during simmering and removed before serving.

Ingredient type
seasoning

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Where mexican bay leaf appears

1 linked foods

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Street food

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 mexican bay leaf

Names and romanised forms to recognise on menus and labels.

English

Mexican Bay Leaf

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

Mexican Bay Leaf nutrition & diet

Mexican Bay Leaf nutritional value

Representative benchmark: Vegetables, not further specified

Representative nutrition benchmarkOfficial table values for a comparable food category, not a laboratory measurement of this exact ingredient.

Per 100 g of 100 g edible portion in the named official reference form.

Calories
37kcal
Protein
2.3g
Carbs
4.1g
Fat
0.4g

Representative benchmark from a comparable official food-composition category; it is not a laboratory measurement of this exact ingredient. The displayed reference form must be considered, and species, cultivar, recipe, brand, processing and preparation can change values.

Portions & preparation

Reference the actual Mexican bay leaf used as a seasoning, distinguishing whole, crushed, or ground leaf. Usually the leaf is removed before eating, so the culinary amount added is not necessarily the edible consumed portion. Steeping in beans, soups, or sauces also differs from grinding it into food.

Compare the right form: Match Mexican bay leaf by verified botanical identity and form—whole, crushed, or ground—and specify whether the leaf itself is consumed or removed.

Diet considerations

Mexican bay leaf is plant-derived and generally used in small seasoning amounts. Compatibility changes when it is packaged in spice blends containing salt, cereal carriers, dairy, or animal-derived flavorings. A leaf infused and removed differs from a ground blend incorporated into a sauce, whose carbohydrate pattern depends on the recipe.

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: Pacific Nutrient Database 2020 — 01.1.7.4.9_99 ↗. 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: .