The New Year brings change and hope even though the same pattern continues of day following night or, if you prefer, night following day. The sun and moon do not know the date, only the seasons. Winter is upon us, darkness fills more of the day than the light. For many, it's a time of introspection, meditation and quiet thoughts.

Our country is going through some major changes with a new administration ready to take over the government, our economy changing many people's lives, not necessarily for the better, and in my view, hopefully some positive changes concerning the future of the way we travel, take care of our health and how we manage the economy and wealth.

Along with the New Year, comes a new Herb of the Year. The Herb Society of America chooses an herb for each year to be celebrated, studied and enjoyed. The Herb of the Year for 2009 is Laurel or Bay Laurel, Laurus nobilis.

Laurel, Bay Laurel, Sweet Bay-- this herb goes by many common names-- has been celebrated since the days of the Ancient Greeks and Romans. It is a symbol of glory and reward.

Those who slept on a bed of laurel supposedly had dreams that came true.

The herb is sacred to the god Apollo because the object of his affection, Daphne, was turned into a Laurel tree by her father, Peneus, the river god, to save her from Apollo's attentions. It wasn't really Apollo's fault he was so attracted to Daphne, nor her fault she spurned his attentions. You see, Cupid, to prove a point to Apollo, shot Apollo with a golden tipped arrow, which caused him to become excited with love. Daphne, Cupid shot with a blunt, lead tipped arrow to cause her to repel love. And, there you have the makings of a tragic tale of unrequited love.

Apollo swore to honor the Laurel tree by wearing a crown of its leaves, making sure Roman conquerors would wear a wreath of Laurel, and since eternal youth belonged to Apollo, he made Laurel evergreen and the leaf without decay.

Laurel has been credited with magical properties since ancient times. One is property is protection from lightening. The Roman emperor Tiberius, upon hearing thunder would crawl under his bed while wearing a laurel wreath! Not long afterward, Nero escaped into a laurel grove during a plague, which was thought to be afraid of the laurel trees.

The idea that the a plague was "afraid" of Laurel isn't too far fetched, we learn now. Some of the essential oils in Laurel have antibacterial, anti-fungal and antiseptic properties.

The death of the tree is said to be an evil omen. In 1629, pestilence broke out in Padua, Italy, after the bay trees in the city died.

In Richard II, Shakespeare wrote:

'Tis thought the king is dead; we will not stay.

The bay trees in our country are all wither'd.

If your Bay Trees wither, however, they likely caught too much cold or retained too much moisture around the root zone.

As far back as 1st Century AD, the berries and leaves of laurel were considered indispensable by Apicius in a Roman cookbook. The trees and/or leaves and berries were exported to Northern Europe early in the Middle Ages, and appeared in Medicinal books as well. Charlemagne encouraged the planting of laurel trees for ailments of the stomach, kidneys and skin, including acne.

In a cookbook published in France in 1652 by Francois-Pierre de la Varenne, laurel leaves played a prominent role in his recipes. He may have learned about them when, as a young man, he studied cooking in Italy, where they were commonly used.

Wife of Henry IV of France, Maria de Medici, made sure there were cooks from her native Italy who could prepare "edible" food, since the French hadn't become the renowned cooks they have now become.

Varenne's cookbook laid the foundations for the type of cooking France is now known for. Originally, people used spices... lots of them... to cover up the taste and aroma of bad meat and even vegetables. Varenne used the spices more moderately to bring out the intrinsic flavor of the food. (Of course, this would assume one had fresh meat or vegetables to use.)

Now, of course, Laurel is used all sorts of meat stews, fricassees, and fish dishes.It is a must in any bouillabaise- those spicy fish stews from France, and in a bouquet garni. Some old cookbooks even use laurel in dessert puddings, which may seem odd to us.

Add a rubbed bay leaf to the water when cooking bean, lentils, rice or other grains.

Include a rubbed bay leaf to a spiced fruit punch.

Bay laurel leaves are strongly aromatic and are used as natural insect repellents, dried bay laurel leaves are often used in silos to protect stored beans, grains from weevils and other grain eating insects.

Add a bay leaf to a jar of dried beans, lentils or other legumes to keep weevils at bay. A bay leaf can be added to a jar or canister of flour to keep weevils out, too. A few leaves in your cupboard will help keep pests out of the area, too.

In Middle Ages, herbalists used the herb to induce abortion and to promote menstruation. Thomas Culpepper recommended it for snakebite, wasp and bee stings, colds, rheumatism, urinary problems, pains of the ears, bruises, scrapes and "all sorts of ills".

Even in modern times, the oil is used to relieve the pain of rheumatism and for joint and muscle pain.

Some people are allergic to the oil, however, and contract dermatitis upon use. The oil can also relieve the pain of sprains, bruises and skin rashes.

An infusion of the leaves or flowers can be made and taken to soothe the stomach and to relieve flatulence.

A strong herbal tea made with Laurel leaves can be used as a hair rinse for dandruff. Rinse the hair with plain water after shampooing to remove all the soap, then pour some of the Laurel tea on the head, massage the scalp and then rinse. Continued use should alleviate dandruff. You can make a quantity of the tea, use about 3 tablespoons to a gallon of water, steep about 20 minutes, and store the tea in the refrigerator for later use. If you make a very strong tea, then you can add hot water to the cold tea from the refrigerator for a warm rinse.

You can make your own oil of bay to use as a rub to relieve aching joints from arthritis, backache, muscle strains or just general achiness after a workout or other strain. Heat some Laurel leaves in a small quantity of olive oil using very low heat on the stove. Keep the heat low so the oil does not smoke. Heat for about 20 minutes. Remove the leaves and cool the oil. It is said the oil can also be used to relieve the pain from varicose veins, as well.

Laurus nobilis, Bay Laurel, Sweet Bay, Laurel

Family: Lauraceae. Same family as cinnamon and cassia, also known as senna- a laxative, and used as inferior cinnamon.

nobilis means "renowned"

Origin: Syria, Asia Minor. Now grown all over the Mediterranean, Eastern Asia, Central America and the Southern US and California

Evergreen

Height: Can grow to 60 feet, although they are more commonly seen at 20 or 30 feet.

Leaves: dark green one side, lanceolate and hard. Underside: lighter green and less shiny

Bark: soft, either olive green or reddish.

Flowers: spring, small yellow or greenish white at the leaf nodes

Fruit: Drupes- thin skinned fruit with a stone that contains the seed. Size of small cherry or grape. Green, purple or black

Both leaves and berries contain oils of eugenol, cineol and geraniol.

Berries can be pressed for a thick oil, once used as liniment and to scent candles and soap.

Leaves are picked by hand and dried out of the sun to retain the color. To keep the leaves from curling while drying, place a board on top of the leaves. It can take up to 2 weeks for the leaves to dry.

Difficult and slow to start from cuttings. Seed must be very fresh to germinate.

Bay Laurel is hardy to Zone 7, with some protection. In warmer zones it is an attractive landscape tree or shrub needing only sun and good drainage for the plant to thrive. Bay lends itself well to container culture, so if you live above Zone 7, grow your Bay Laurel in a large container and bring it inside for the winter. Do not overwater it while it is indoors, and give it plenty of light.

The only pest I've seen on Bay Laurel is soft scale. This insect can ruin a plant by sucking the sap from the branches. To control scale, use dormant or horticultural oil periodically, and prune off infected branches, if necessary. A healthy plant will withstand severe pruning, if that becomes necessary.

To me, Bay Laurel leaves are indispensable in cooking. The fresh leaves are so much more flavorful than the dried ones you purchase at the store. So, find yourself a Bay Laurel, grow it and enjoy the aroma and flavor of this ancient and well-known herb.

REFERENCES:

Herbs 2000.com

Herb Society of America web site:
- see read only PDF on Bay Laurel. Downloadable copies may be purchased at a reasonable cost.

Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs



The Lore of Spices, Their history, nature and uses around the world; J.O. Swahn, 1991

QUOTE FOR THE MONTH

It is impossible to enjoy idling thoroughly unless one has plenty of work to do. -Jerome K. Jerome, humorist and playwright (1859-1927)