00:04If you love the taste of bay leaves, keep scrolling. This video is for those people
00:08who think this herb doesn't add any flavor. Alright, so here's the harsh truth. You've just
00:12been tasting sad old leaves, like geriatric ancient leaves that have basically lost their
00:18punch. Fresh or recently dried bay leaves have aromatic oils loaded with compounds like 1,8
00:23cineol, that eucalyptus vix vibe, and eugenol, more clovey and spicy. But those oils are volatile.
00:28Over time, they literally evaporate and oxidize, so old leaves go flat. Bay leaves are not
00:32like a loud herb, it's more like one of those things in the background that makes everything
00:36taste richer. And so long cooking time gives the oils time to slowly release. And a lot
00:40of those flavor compounds aren't very water soluble, so fat and oil help carry them into
00:44the dish. Ultimately, it needs time to infuse, which is why it works well for soups, stews,
00:49braises, that sort of thing. You can even test it by cracking a dried leaf. If you don't smell
00:53very much, then unfortunately your bay leaf is retired from the flavor game.
00:56Thank you very much.
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