On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 783

Theancientlaurelfamily,mostlylarge
tropicaltrees,ismostnotableforgivingus
cinnamon;butitdoesgiveusonewell-known
herbandthreelessfamiliarbutinteresting
ones.Theleavesofvariouscinnamonspecies
arealsousedasherbsinAsia,butareseldom
seenintheWest.
Avocado Leaf Mexican races of the avocado
tree (Persea americana) have leaves with a
distinct tarragon aroma, thanks to the same
volatiles that flavor tarragon and anise
(estragole, anethole). More tropical avocado
races (p. 337) lack this aroma. In Mexico,
avocado leaves are dried, then crumbled or
ground to flavor chicken, fish, and bean
dishes.
BayLaurel
Bayleaves,oneofthemostusefulEuropean
herbs,comefromanevergreentreeorshrub
nativetothehotMediterranean,Laurus
nobilis.Themedium-sized,tough,dryleaf


accumulatesoilsinsphericalglandsinthe
leafinterior,andhasawell-roundedmixture
ofwoody,floral,eucalyptus,andclovenotes.
Theleavesaregenerallydriedintheshade.
Laurelbranchesweremadeintofragrant
crownsintheancientworld;todaytheleaves
areastandardingredientinmanysavory
dishes.

California Bay California bay leaves come
from an entirely different tree, the California
nativeUmbellularia californica. Their aroma
bearssomeresemblancetobaylaurel,though
it is distinctly stronger, with a dominant
eucalyptusnote(fromcineole).
SassafrasorFiléSassafrasleavescomefrom
a North American tree,Sassafras albidum.
The Choctaw Indians introduced them to
FrenchsettlersinLouisiana,andtheyarestill
most commonly encountered as the dry filé
powder used to thicken and flavor Louisiana
gumbos. They carry woody, floral, and green