How to recognise quality dried bay leaves

At first glance dried bay leaves look much alike, yet the difference between two batches shows immediately in a dish or on a packing line. There are four basic criteria you can check without a laboratory.

Colour

Well-dried bay leaf is a lively olive green. One side of the leaf may be slightly paler than the other, which is natural. Widespread browning, yellowing or a dull grey look suggests the leaf was not dried in suitable conditions or has been exposed to light for a long time.

Aroma

When you crush a leaf in your palm it should release a distinct, sharp and clean scent. A faint aroma points to an old leaf; a musty or damp smell suggests it absorbed moisture in storage.

Integrity

Most of the leaves in a batch should be whole. Some breakage in transit is unavoidable, but a high share of broken pieces and dust shows that the product has not been sieved well enough.

Foreign matter

• Stems and twigs
• Stones, soil and sand
• Leaves from other plants
• Packaging residue or thread

In short

These four criteria are enough for a first assessment of a batch. Commercial purchases may also call for analyses such as moisture, essential oil content and microbiological values. At Çatallar Defne we share the information a buyer needs, batch by batch, at the quotation stage.