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Indian Bay Leaf, known locally as Tej Patta, is the dried leaf of Cinnamomum tamala — a tree native to the Himalayan foothills and northeast India. It is botanically distinct from the Mediterranean bay leaf (Laurus nobilis): the Indian leaf is larger, with three prominent longitudinal veins and a warm, clove-and-cinnamon-like aroma derived from its eugenol and cinnamaldehyde content, rather than the eucalyptus note of the Mediterranean variety.

India's bay leaf is cultivated and wild-harvested across Uttarakhand, Sikkim, West Bengal, and the northeastern states. The leaves are hand-picked, shade-dried to preserve their volatile oils and green-brown colour, then sorted and graded by size and wholeness. It is a foundational spice in Indian, Mughlai, and South Asian cuisine, used whole in biryanis, garam masala blends, curries, and pulaos.

As the GI-recognised home of Cinnamomum tamala, India is the dominant global supplier of true Indian bay leaf. Export demand is driven by the South Asian diaspora, spice blenders, and the food-processing industry across the USA, the Gulf, Europe, and Southeast Asia, where the leaf's distinctive aroma cannot be substituted by the Mediterranean type.