Bay Laurus nobilis The 'noble laurel', bay, is a native of the Mediterranean and Asia Minor, and has been used extensively for medicinal, culinary and even magical purposes since ancient times. Two main explanations for the origin of its botanical name have been put forward, both of which seem to bear merit: from the Celtic, laur, meaning green; from the Latin laudo, honour or praise. The specific name, nobilis, is the Latin for noble. It is a key herb in mythology, ancient Greek especially: Apollo, the sun god, tried to force himself upon Daphne, a river nymph. In a desperate attempt to escape, she called upon the Earth Mother, Gaia, for help. Just as Apollo's arms wound around her, Daphne disappeared and a bay laurel sprang up in her place. This moved Apollo so much that he immediately pronounced the tree sacred and took to wearing a crown made from its leaves. His temple at Delphi, the site of the famous Delphic Oracle, was thatched with a bay-leaf roof in order to protect the Oracle, who could be vulnerable in times of trance - a trance which could even have been aided by chewing the leaves of the laurel, which has slightly narcotic powers. These protective powers carry through into the folklore and myth of a lot of societies. Bay is said to protect against thunder and lightning; it is said that no bay tree has ever been struck by lightning. It was also said to have been protection against witches and evil spirits and small bay trees were traditionally grown by the entrances of homes to keep these malevolents 'at bay'. Consequently, superstition holds that when a bay tree dies, it is a bad omen indeed. Bay was also seen as a boost to athletic prowess, possibly because of its links with Apollo, and early victors in the original Olympic games were awarded crowns made from laurel leaves. Even today, 'laureate' is used to refer to someone who has reached the very top of their discipline, as in Poet Laureate and, when someone is being warned not to let their standards slip, they are very often reminded 'not to sit on their laurels', or, in other words, rely on past glory. Herbal magic uses it to ward off negativity and one of it uses is as a trigger for meaningful and inspirational dreams - a young maiden will dream of the man she will marry if she pins 5 leaves to the pillow she sleeps upon. In medicine, it has been used for inducing abortions, countering the effects of snakebite, urinary tract problems, indigestion and flatulence. Externally, bay leaf oil is used to help rheumatism. Many cuisines use bay extensively - it is one of the basic herbs used in the French bouquet garni. Bay is used to flavour sauces, stocks and cooking waters and is used when cooking pulses to help guard against flatulence. Indian cooks often refer to bay leaf, but this is frequently the leaf of the cassia tree, cinnamomum aromaticum, which is interchangeable in most Asian recipes. Again, even in the kitchen, its protective powers were relied upon as bay leaves were traditionally placed in flour bins to deter weevils. One teaspoonful of bay weighs 2g and is 8.11 kcalories. The leaf contains fats, carbohydrate, fibre, sodium, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C and iron.