Why dont fresh Bay Laves taste of much?

[GinandTonic]

How come Bay leaves buck the trend and taste more as they dry out?

 

[ShannonCT]

How come Bay leaves buck the trend and taste more as they dry out?

Lot's of plants have a more intense flavor as they dry out.

Why?

Mostly because water evaporation concentrates flavor, and concentration may stimulate some chemical reactions. Working against that is the fact that some essential oils deteriorate after some time, which is why something like fresh rosemary is more intense than the dried stuff. I suspect bay leaves are low in oil content.

 

[skadistic]

Chloroform kills alot of a leaves flavour. As a leaf dries out and cures it loses the chloroform taste. Its the same reason fresh picked weed tastes like crap.

 

[Shaihulud]

Lots of flavours become more intense when it dries out, i suppose the flavours become more concentrated also chemicals break down and decay into more pungent amines. Tomatoes for example taste more intense when it dries out, fish and shrimp also becomes different when it dries out.