This recipe has 1 typo. (Please let it not be at Ochef!)

Your recipe should be calling for 1 bay leaf. And a bay leaf, as you know, comes from the coniferous bay laurel tree. The leaf may also be called a laurel leaf or a bay laurel leaf.

The dried bay leaves you find in the supermarket come from California or Turkey. The Turkish leaves are considered more subtle and generally more desirable (although we have met people who swear by California bay leaves).

The most important thing to remember about using a bay leaf in cooking is to fish it out before serving. It is in the recipe to add flavor, not to give one of your diners an unpleasant surprise.