Spice Profile USDA Organic Ground Bay Leaves, Lab Tested for Heavy Metals, Resealable 4 oz Pouch, Tej Patta Powder, Polvo de Laurel

I did not even give serious thought until I started this review for the Spice Profile USDA Organic Ground Bay Leaves, how important Bay leaf is in my cooking and I certainly did not plan on talking about it. But the thing is, the women in my family, many of whom are not here anymore, knew how to cook and cook well. They are the ones who taught me the importance of Bay Leaf in stews and casseroles and in cooking some meats. So there is a certain special aroma and flavor in Bay Leaf that says to the cook that I am now, this dish is complete only once it has accepted and become imbued with the taste and full flavored taste of bay leaf. When I was a kid, I did not know it was Bay Leaf in those wonderful pots of beans and ham hocks my mom lovingly served us. When I was a young adult I did not know that it was the Bay Leaf in the beef stew at my Grandmother's house that said "genuine home cooked stew". As an adult, it is a must in every dish of these types or I might as well not even bother cooking it. I use Bay Leaf from Turkey and now Bay Leaf from India and I could not be more thrilled to have this. It is a top notch product and the packaging is fantastic and well constructed to keep my precious Bay Leaf in the fresh condition it deserves. Thank you so much; I am very pleased to have this high quality Bay Leaf product in my pantry, particularly one that is so well sourced and tested - Very much appreciated.

I didn’t realize this was fine ground but I was able to use it cooking beef tongue and it still made it very tasty.

uso este polvo de laurel cuando cosino pozole a mi familia les encanta el sabor.

Nice organic ground bay leaves. They smell fresh and fragrant. I like to use these in sauces etc. This bag is decent value for a high quality product.

I use a lot of bay leaves in my cooking, and I've always purchased them as whole leaves. For soups and stews that require long cooking, I put the leaves in one of those little mesh tea balls so I don't have to worry I will miss one and someone ends up with it on their plate. I have occasionally thought about grinding up some leaves with a mortar and pestle, but I wasn't sure it would even work, and it was always one of those things I figured I would try "some day". I didn't even know this spice was available in a ground form! I've never seen it in my local stores. My understanding is that the ground bay leaves are more potent and it is suggested that they be used in small amounts, at least at first. But with so much surface area after being ground, the spice apparently doesn't last as long as whole leaves, which makes sense. So, I like the resealable, light-proof foil pouch they spice is packaged in and I won't transfer it into one of my glass spice jars as I initially planned.The packet is generously sized -- 4 ounces is a lot! and the expiration date on the bottom of the package is 10/2026. The ground bay leaves have a rich, pleasant, almost earthy aroma but it isn't quite the same as the scent of the bay leaves I usually buy and it isn't particularly strong. So far, I have used the spice with thyme and parsley to make a vegetable soup which came out great, even though I didn't use very much of the ground bay leaves. I followed a suggestion that I found online to substitute about 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of ground spice for each leaf. I'll probably use a little more next time. Today I used it to season taco meat along with cumin, oregano and various types of dried ground chiles. I was a little more heavy-handed with the ground bay leaves (I didn't bother measuring) and the flavor really came through!The price seems very reasonable and I'm happy to have found this new-to-me version of a favorite spice. The fragrance and taste is almost the same as when using the whole leaf, and the ground version is easier and more convenient to use.I noticed a bit of a discrepancy in that the top part of the description (the "about this product" section and the pictures in the image gallery) features SpiceProfile's Organic Ground Bay Leaves (sourced from the Laurus nobilis tree). However, lower down in the product description, the focus is on a different product. SpiceProfile's Organic Indian Bay Leaves is pictured and described and these are whole leaves sourced from a completely different plant (Cinnamomum tamala) commonly known as tej patta and used more often in Indian cuisine.I found it a little confusing that the package I received referenced both laurel leaf (from Laurus nobilis) and tej patta powder (from Cinnamomum tamala).

Having ground bay leaves is a game changer since whole leaves are tough to grind at home. This works great for spice rubs and curries, making it super convenient. I suppose it’s important to note that it’s not Laurel Bay leaf, but Indian Bay leaf. Not sure it really matters unless you’re particular about what you’re cooking.

The ground bay leaves came in perfect condition in a reclosable bag. They are very finely ground and have a muted scent and taste. They do give the flavoring expected, and it's nice to not have to fish out full bay leaves after cooking.

Very flavorful way of adding bay leaf to your cuisine without having to search through it later to find the leaves. We do a lot of Eastern European cooking that uses a significant amount of this herb, and the taste is just as good as the whole leaf, and can be easily made more potent by adding more powder as needed.Also really appreciate that it's organic, fair trade, and tested for heavy metals.Highly recommended.