What is the type of aromatic leaf that is popular in Vietnam and is as nutritious as ginseng, but is expensive abroad?

The leaf mentioned here is the bay leaf, scientifically known as Laurus nobilis, belonging to the Lauraceae family. The English name is bay tree, bay laurel, originating in the Mediterranean region. This leaf is quite popular in herbal gardens.

Fresh bay leaves have a bitter and pungent taste.

This type of leaf always gives off a gentle, pleasant scent, helping you relieve fatigue, stress and relax your mind. Perhaps that is why laurel trees are often grown indoors, both for decoration and for their many health benefits. Bay leaves are also used to weave laurel wreaths, symbolizing victory, power and fortune.

Bay leaves are the leaves of the bay tree, which is native to the Mediterranean.

Bay leaves are about 6–12 cm long and 2–4 cm wide. The shape of the leaves is very characteristic with wrinkled edges and regular serrations. The leaves are green, oval, thick and shiny. When the bay leaves fall, people will collect them and dry them for use.

When the bay leaves fall, people collect them and dry them for use.

This type of leaf is of little interest to Vietnamese people but is popular in European countries and the US. The selling price of bay leaves in the US can be up to 1.5-2 million VND/kg. In October 2023, bay leaf exports brought Vietnam 33,000 USD, an increase of more than 300% over the same period last year.

Leaves have many uses for health and life.

Besides Vietnam, Asian countries also widely grow laurel trees. Laurel trees often live in forests, near streams, where there is high humidity.

Laurel is a perennial evergreen shrub with many branches. The leaves are thick, smooth and dark green, bright, alternate, short-stalked, lanceolate, with smooth and wavy margins.

The leaf is a "divine" spice.

The reason this leaf is expensive is because it always gives off a very pleasant scent, soothes the nerves, and helps relax the mind.

In foreign countries, it is commonly used in cooking to marinate food, stir-fry, season, remove fishy smell of meat and fish or process in many dishes such as soup...

Bay leaves can generally be harvested at any time of the year from a fully mature plant. After picking the leaves, they should be left to dry for 48 – 72 hours.

Laurel tree has the scientific name Laurus nobilis L., belongs to the plant family: Camphor

Dried bay leaves have a deeper, more mellow flavor. For best quality, avoid harvesting when the plant is still wet.

When cooking, adding bay leaves will help stimulate the taste buds and enhance the delicious flavor of the dish. Just one or two bay leaves are enough to create flavor for the dish.

Not only used to add flavor to dishes, bay leaves are also a precious medicinal herb, very good for health with unexpected uses.

Anti-inflammatory and anti-swelling

Notably, bay leaves contain two anti-inflammatory components, mycrene and eugenol, which easily evaporate when exposed to fire. Therefore, burning bay leaves and inhaling them can help reduce symptoms of inflammation related to the respiratory system.

Laurel essential oil helps clean the lungs, reduces lung congestion, clears airways, and facilitates breathing.

Therefore, people with asthma, allergies or respiratory diseases can burn and smell bay leaves to improve their condition.

Reduce blood sugar, prevent cardiovascular disease

In addition, scientists have proven that bay leaves are very effective in reducing blood sugar and cholesterol, helping to prevent heart-related diseases.

Bay leaves are also good for people with diabetes, especially good for people with irritable bowel syndrome...

Another benefit of bay leaves is that they help improve your skin. The vitamins A and C in bay leaves help boost your immune system and act as effective antioxidants.

Bay leaves are also an important ingredient in tea, oil, cheese and wine, and its essential oil is used in the cosmetic industry for soaps, perfumes, processed foods, beverages and dental products.

You may not know, this type of leaf is also used to weave laurel wreaths, symbolizing victory, power and fortune.

Bay leaves have many health benefits.

Not only does this leaf have many valuable uses for health and life, it also brings in a large source of foreign currency.

Vietnamese bay leaves are consumed strongly in many regions of South Asia (such as India, Bangladesh), East Asia (Japan, Taiwan, Korea), the US and countries of the European Union.

In the domestic market, dried bay leaves are being sold by agricultural companies and supermarkets at prices ranging from 500,000 to 70,000 VND/kg. In particular, in supermarkets in the US, the price of bay leaves ranges from 1.5 to 2 million VND/kg.

Who should not use bay leaves?

Although bay leaves are rich in vitamins, not everyone can use them. Here are some groups below that should be cautious:

- People about to have surgery: You should avoid using bay leaves 2 weeks before surgery because it can affect the function of the central nervous system, especially when combined with anesthesia.

- People with allergies: If you have ever had a reaction to bay leaves in food, avoid burning bay leaves or using essential oils from this leaf.

Source: https://danviet.vn/loai-la-thom-dan-da-o-viet-nam-lai-bo-duong-nhu-nhan-sam-ra-nuoc-ngoai-gia-dat-do-do-la-la-gi-20240319151503909.htm