LAUREL

Scientific Latin name

Laurus nobilis

Vulgar name in mother languages

Laurel (spanish)
Ereinotza (basque)
Laurel (english)

Homero Odisea IX 186

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Homero Odisea IX 186 (translation)

Drawing of the plant

Mythological symbolism of the plant

Once, Apollo mocked Eros, the God of

love, and he insulted him. Eros took
two arrows, one of gold and one of
lead. With the leaden shaft, to incite
hatred, he shot the nymph Daphne and
with the golden one, to incite love, he
shot Apollo through the heart. Apollo
fell in love with Daphne. He was always
following her, but she escaped of him.
They were evenly matched in the race
until Eros intervened and helped Apollo
gain upon Daphne. Seeing that Apollo
was bound to catch her, she called her
father to perserve her virginity: Help

me, Peneus! Open the earth to

enclose me, or change my form, but
let me be free of this man now! And
she became into a tree.

Mythological symbolism of the plant

Bay laurel was also the
symbol of triumph.
Military leaders sent a
branch of laurel to their
Emperor to let him know
they had won the battle.
A hat made of laurel was
also used to signify a
person was a genius.

Uses of the plant

To cook
Medicinal use

To cook
The plant is the source of
several popular herbs and
one spice used in a wide variety
of recipes, particularly in the
Mediterranean.
Even when cooked, whole bay
leaves can be sharp and
abrasive enough to damage
internal organs, so they are
typically removed from dishes
before serving, unless used as a
simple garnish.
Bay leaves are used almost
exclusively as flavor agents
during the food preparation
stage, and are often used
in soups and stocks.

Medicinal use

Aqueous extracts of bay laurel can

also be used as a reasonable salve for
open wounds.
In massage therapy, the essential oil
of bay laurel is reputed to alleviate
arthritis and rheumatism, while
in aromatherapy, it is used to treat
earaches and high blood pressure.
In the world of medicine, it doesnt
get much more ancient than bay
laurel. Native to the Mediteranean,
the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans all
used this plant to stimulate healing. It
was especially used in bruising and
tissue damage, applied externally.

Risks
Some members of the laurel family, as well as the unrelated but
visually similar mountain laurel and cherry laurel, have leaves
that are poisonous to humans and livestock. While these plants
are not sold anywhere for culinary use, their visual similarity to
bay leaves has led to the oft-repeated belief that bay leaves
should be removed from food after cooking because they are
poisonous. This is not true; bay leaves may be eaten without
toxic effect. However, they remain very stiff even after
thorough cooking, and if swallowed whole or in large pieces,
they may pose a risk of scratching the digestive tract or even
causing choking. Because of this, most recipes that use bay
leaves will recommend their removal after the cooking process
has finished.