The California Bay Laurel is one of my favorite trees. They are beautiful, versatile trees — great for climbing and seeking shelter underneath, whether from sun, wind, or rain. Their flowers smell sweet, the leaves are a great field antiseptic and insect repellent as well as for spicing up your soups and beans. The fruit is like a delicious avocado if you can get it just right, and the nuts are an amazing food, sometimes called peppernuts, but when roasted properly have their closest analogues in our culture to coffee and chocolate. And behold, the young red tipped leaves are edible, too, and super good.
Some say the leaves taste like Sassafras, but why read this when you can watch the video below: