History of bay or laurel leaf

The bay, Laurus nobilis L., is indigenous to Asia Minor and the Mediterranean basin, and its dried aromatic leaves are used as a culinary herb.

The motherland of bay is Asia Minor and the Balkan Peninsular. It was distributed throughout the Mediterranean by people over 2000 years ago and was familiar to ancient Greek and Roman civilization.

In ancient Greece, the winners of the Olympic Games were decorated with bay leaf wreaths and these leaves became an immortal symbol of victory and courage.

When physicians completed their studies, they were crowned with laurel branches called baca lauris, which later became baccalaureates.

The English word ‘bay’ is derived from the Latin baca, berry, originally applied to the berries of the bay tree, not the leaves.

During Middle Ages it was fashionable at dinners to boil bay leavss with orange peels for use in finger bowls.
History of bay or laurel leaf