Ajwain
Top-grade Ajwain with rich aroma and intense flavor, processed under hygienic conditions for global export.
Min. Order
500 Kg
Top-grade Bay Leaf with rich aroma and intense flavor, processed under hygienic conditions for global export.
Min. Order (MOQ)
500 Kg
HS Code
0904
Origin
India
Price Range
Price on Request
Export Documents
Available Bag Sizes
Available Bag Types
Experience the authentic taste of India with our premium Bay Leaf. Sourced from selected farms, it undergoes rigorous quality checks to ensure maximum potency, aroma, and flavor retention for international markets. As a leading manufacturer and exporter in India, IndianXporter ensures that our Bay Leaf meets the stringent quality requirements of international markets. Our robust supply chain allows us to fulfill bulk orders consistently, offering highly competitive FOB and CIF pricing to our B2B partners worldwide. Our processing facilities are equipped with state-of-the-art machinery, ensuring that every shipment of Bay Leaf is thoroughly sorted, cleaned, and graded. We adhere to global food safety and industrial standards, backed by third-party inspections from agencies like SGS upon buyer request.
As a leading manufacturer and exporter in India, IndianXporter ensures that our Bay Leaf meets the stringent quality requirements of international markets. Our robust supply chain allows us to fulfill bulk orders consistently, offering highly competitive FOB and CIF pricing to our B2B partners worldwide.
Our processing facilities are equipped with state-of-the-art machinery, ensuring that every shipment of Bay Leaf is thoroughly sorted, cleaned, and graded. We adhere to global food safety and industrial standards, backed by third-party inspections from agencies like SGS upon buyer request.
Indian Bay Leaf, known locally as Tej Patta, is the dried leaf of Cinnamomum tamala โ 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.
| Botanical Name | Cinnamomum tamala |
| Type | Whole hand-picked, shade-dried |
| Purity | 99% Min (Sortex/hand cleaned) |
| Moisture | 10% Max |
| Volatile Oil | 1.0โ2.5% (eugenol-rich) |
| Total Ash | 7% Max |
| Admixture / Foreign Matter | 1% Max |
| Colour | Olive-green to light brown |
| Leaf Size | Whole leaves, 8โ18 cm length |
| Aflatoxin Total | < 10 ppb |
| Salmonella | Absent in 25g |
Premium Whole (Hand-Picked)
Processing: Hand-picked, shade-dried, size-sorted, unbroken leaves
Colour: Olive-green, uniform
Use Case: Premium retail, branded spice packs, gourmet and HORECA supply
+15โ25% over standard grade
Standard Export Grade
Processing: Machine cleaned, sorted, mixed leaf sizes
Colour: Green to light brown
Use Case: Spice blending, food processing, mainstream wholesale
Base export grade
Broken / Tea-Cut
Processing: Broken leaves and fragments
Colour: Brown, mixed
Use Case: Oleoresin/essential-oil extraction, ground spice blends, masala manufacturing
-15โ25% below standard
Prices are indicative. Request a formal quote for contractual pricing.
| Grade | FOB Price (USD/MT) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Premium Whole Hand-Picked | $1,200 โ $1,800/MT | Branded retail and gourmet grade โ indicative Q1 2026 |
| Standard Export Grade | $900 โ $1,400/MT | Spice blending and food processing benchmark |
| Broken / Tea-Cut | $700 โ $1,000/MT | Extraction and ground-blend grade |
Price Influencing Factors
Indian bay leaf (Cinnamomum tamala) and Turkish/Mediterranean bay leaf (Laurus nobilis) are botanically different spices serving different cuisines. India dominates the true 'tej patta' used across South Asian cooking; Turkey leads Mediterranean Laurus supply. They are complements, not direct substitutes.
| Aspect | ๐ฎ๐ณ India | ๐ Turkey |
|---|---|---|
| Species | Cinnamomum tamala โ three-veined, cassia-family | Laurus nobilis โ single mid-vein, laurel-family |
| Aroma | Warm clove-cinnamon (eugenol-led) | Eucalyptus-floral, pungent |
| Cuisine | Biryani, garam masala, South Asian curries | Mediterranean stews, soups, marinades |
| FOB Price | $900โ$1,800/MT โ competitive | $1,400โ$2,600/MT โ premium positioning |
| Global Position | Dominant source of true Indian bay leaf | Leader in Mediterranean Laurus supply |
Spice Blending & Seasoning
A core ingredient in garam masala, biryani masala, and curry blends. Spice manufacturers across the USA, Gulf, and Europe source Indian bay leaf for authentic South Asian flavour profiles.
Household & Retail Cooking
Whole bay leaves in retail packs for biryanis, pulaos, and curries. South Asian diaspora communities drive steady branded retail demand.
Food Processing & Ready Meals
Used in ready-to-eat curries, marinades, soups, and packaged biryani kits where the leaf's aroma is essential to the recipe.
Essential Oil & Nutraceutical
Broken-grade leaves are distilled for bay leaf essential oil (eugenol, cinnamaldehyde) used in flavour, fragrance, and traditional wellness formulations.
Primary Supply Origins
India
Dominant source of Cinnamomum tamalaUttarakhand, Sikkim, West Bengal, and the northeastern states; GI-recognised true Indian bay leaf.
Nepal / Bhutan
Minor Himalayan supplySame species from adjacent Himalayan belt; smaller export volumes.
Turkey
Leads a different species (Laurus)Mediterranean bay leaf โ a complementary, not competing, product.
Key Consumption Nodes
USA & Canada
Large South Asian diaspora driving retail and foodservice demand for authentic tej patta.
Middle East โ UAE, Saudi Arabia
Biryani and Mughlai cuisine staple; UAE re-exports across the Gulf.
United Kingdom & Europe
Diaspora retail plus ready-meal manufacturers; EU MRL compliance required.
Southeast Asia
Spice blenders and curry manufacturers sourcing for regional cuisines.
Indian bay leaf is a steady, diaspora-anchored spice export. Unlike volatile commodity spices, demand is inelastic and recipe-driven โ the leaf is irreplaceable in South Asian cooking, giving India a structural supply advantage as the home of Cinnamomum tamala.
Market Size
Part of India's $4B+ annual spice export basket; bay leaf a steady niche segment
Growth Rate
~5% CAGR โ diaspora growth and global curry popularity
Core Demand Drivers
Supply Dynamics
Cinnamomum tamala grows in the specific agro-climatic belt of the Himalayan foothills and northeast India, a natural barrier to entry that keeps India the dominant origin. Much of the harvest is from semi-wild and smallholder cultivation, with quality varying by drying practice โ controlled shade-drying preserves the premium green colour and volatile oil.
โ India Risk Factor
Harvest quality depends on monsoon and drying conditions; improper sun-drying degrades colour and aroma. Aflatoxin from poor storage and EU pesticide MRL compliance are the main export-access risks, managed through controlled drying and pre-shipment lab testing.
Future Outlook
Organic and GI-tagged Himalayan bay leaf is the premium growth path, commanding higher margins in EU and US natural-food retail. Value-added forms โ bay leaf powder and essential oil โ offer margin expansion beyond whole-leaf commodity trade.
| Product Type | HS 6-Digit | ITC-HS 8-Digit | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bay Leaf (Whole, dried) | 0910.99 | 09109939 | Spices โ bay leaves (tej patta) |
| Bay Leaf Powder | 0910.99 | 09109990 | Other spices, ground |
| Standard | Code / Reference | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Spices Board of India | SB Certificate | Mandatory quality certification for spice exports |
| FSSAI | FSS Act 2006 | Indian food safety compliance |
| EU MRL | Regulation EC 396/2005 | Pesticide residue limits for EU market access |
| ISO 6571 | ISO 6571 | Volatile oil content method for spices |
| EU Organic | EC 834/2007 | Available from certified organic Himalayan growers |
Shelf Life
12โ24 months
Storage Conditions
Cool, dry, dark storage below 25ยฐC and 60% RH; airtight packaging preserves volatile oils and green colour.
Container Type
25 kg PP/Jute bags or cartons in 20ft FCL, lined to prevent moisture ingress.
Fumigation
Phosphine fumigation available where required; EU buyers generally prefer clean-stored, low-residue lots.
Storage Advantage
Whole leaves retain aroma far longer than ground form โ buyers receive whole leaves and grind at destination for maximum freshness.
Essential raw materials for spice blends, seasoning manufacturing, and oleoresin extraction. High-purity technical grades available for industrial procurement and technical application.
Standard
Technical Grade
Supply
Bulk Only
Standard Packaging
Steam Sterilized Laminated Bags / Cartons
Private Label / OEM
Custom Grinding & Private Labeling
Port of Loading
Chennai or Nhava Sheva Port
Incoterms
FOB, CIF, CFR accepted
IndianXporter successfully exports Bay Leaf to major international markets. Click your region below to view destination-specific compliance and shipping details.
Establish your own brand in the international market. We provide end-to-end custom white-label packaging and branding solutions for retail distribution. Get retail-ready Bay Leaf under your brand name with our expert OEM services.
Retail Ready
From Design to Delivery
We provide market-specific compliance documentation for each destination. Contact us for country-specific certifications.
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