Health Tips

Winners of sports in ancient Greece were crowned with a wreath of laurel or bay leaves. Poets, statesmen, and heroes of antiquity were so honored as well. Laurel was considered sacred to the god Apollo.

Laurier from an evergreen shrub or tree that can grow to a height of 10 to 20 feet (3 to 6 meters). The leaves are long and pointed. The plant is native to the Mediterranean.

Gardening:-

Outdoors, laurel trees best in partial shade. They should be planted in soil with good drainage. They are grown indoors as houseplants, in which case the soil must be rich. The white flowers appear in April to May Leaves can be harvested and used fresh or distributed in a dark place to dry.

The taste of laurel is described as bitter and sharp, and it belongs to two of the ten on the hotness scale. Bay leaves are aromatic when crushed or burned, and they are often left to steep in liquid and removed before serving.
Laurel is a traditional part of the French bouquet garnis. They are used in the preparation of meat, game, stuffing, soup, stew, sauces, marinades, vegetables and bland. Bay leaves are also used in the manufacture of bay rum, which originated in West Indies. Laurel is a characteristic of the Cajun spices, along with the cayenne pepper, hot pepper sauce, black and white pepper, thyme, and file powder. They are also typical of the cuisines of Brazil, Greece, Germany and Eastern Europe, Jamaica, and Scandinavia.

Bay leaves can be used in crafts to make dry topiary and wreaths, and may be used along with other ingredients, such as apples and rose hips, in inclusion candles. They are also used as a filler in sachets. In a different area, bay leaves are said to be effective as a roach repellent. Powdered berries from the bay tree are used in cosmetics.