Bay Leaves - Selected for Quality What are Bay Leaves? The Bay Leaf is an herb commonly used in cooking. Where do Bay Leaves Come From? There are two main varieties of culinary Bay Leaves: Turkish (or Mediterranean) Bay Leaves and California Bay Leaves. We sell Bay Leaves from Turkey. The Turkish variety is the most common, with a more subtle flavour compared to California Bay Leaves, which have more potency and a slightly mint taste. They are distinguishable by the shape of the leaf: Turkish has the more familiar short and fat leaf versus the thinner and longer silhouette of the California variety. The majority of fresh leaves sold in the U.S. are California Bay Leaves while the dried come from Turkey.