The bay leaf was an important symbol in mythology, especially in ancient Greek and Roman culture. The laurel was the sacred tree of Apollo — god of music, poetry, healing and prophecy, and son of Zeus and Leto — who is usually depicted wearing a laurel wreath. The tree's name carries the myth with it: in Greek the laurel is daphne, after the nymph who was transformed into a laurel to escape Apollo, and the Turkish name for the plant, defne, comes from the same root.

Bay leaf is used across several sectors. It is widely used as an aromatic ingredient in food and beverages, particularly in Mediterranean cooking, and as a flavouring in some liqueurs. In cosmetics, bay leaf extracts appear in skin care products and perfumes. It is also used in aromatherapy and natural health products such as massage oils and bath salts, and it keeps its decorative and symbolic role in wreaths for ceremonies and celebrations.

Laurel is grown and traded mainly around the Mediterranean — Türkiye, Italy, Greece and neighbouring countries — and moves in international trade principally as dried leaf. Türkiye is the leading exporter, and demand comes chiefly from the spice, dried herb and food additive sectors, with a smaller share going to cosmetics.

Quality in this trade is judged on leaf colour, moisture content, the proportion of broken leaf and stem, and freedom from mould and foreign matter. These should be written into the specification before contracting rather than settled after arrival.

Contact us for your bay leaf trade needs.