Still researching The Anacardiaceae , commonly known as the cashew family or sumac family, are a family of flowering plants, including about 83 genera with about 860 known species. Members of the Anacardiaceae bear fruits that are drupes and in some cases produce urushiol, an irritant
Cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/5425-bay-leaves.
I remember I didn’t love them as a child, and I’m not sure when it happened,
but I love cashews now.
About bay leaves. “… a shrubby evergreen tree, a different species altogether from the bay, or laurel, tree that produces Turkish bay leaves and grows throughout the Mediterranean. California bay leaves have a potent, eucalyptus-like flavor, whereas Turkish bay”
“The aromatic molecules in most herbs are more volatile than water. Herbs that grow in hot, arid environments—like bay leaves—are different: Their aromatic molecules are less volatile, retaining flavor even after water evaporates. Similarly, in long-cooked applications, we’ve found that rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage, and other herbs native to hot, arid environments do as well as their fresh counterparts. (And bay leaves are used only in long-cooked recipes.) Since they are cheaper and keep for months in the freezer, we’ll continue to use dried bay leaves (about 10 cents per leaf), instead of springing for fresh, which cost twice as much.”
Wanting to know if Sumak and Sumac are a different species.
