Bay leaves add a complex flavor to dishes, and are a key staple in many soups and sauces. When dried, they taste like a subtly bitter combination of mint and spice. Generally, the term "bay leaf" refers to the laurel leaf, a small leaf from the sweet bay tree. The scientific name of this tree is the Laurus nobilis. The bay laurel leaf is also called the Turkish bay leaf because the tree it comes from naturally grows in the Mediterranean. Sometimes people use the term "bay leaf" to refer to other varieties of leaves from similar trees.
