Until now searching QTSaver was based on Google and Yahoo API. Today we added Wikipedia and Dmoz API.
Google and Yahoo are machine collections of documents while Wikipedia and Dmoz are documents collected by human beings.
Wikipedia and Dmoz are much more structured than Google and Yahoo and at first sight their results on QTSaver seem "nicer": more organized and more to the point.
Still, if one reads Wikipedia or Dmoz source pages relevance is far from satisfying. These are still "old world" macro contents and there are irrelevant contents mixed even with the most highly accurate answers. For example: I entered the words: Laurel Leaves
Wikipedia brought every thing about laurel including laurel leaves, but I wanted only laurel leaves. QTSaver extracted the relevant excerpt for me.
Here is the excerpt from QTSaver:
Search results for laurel leaves
Search engine: Wikipedia
Bay laurel Laurus nobilis, the original true laurel
that is the source of bay leaves used as a seasoning. It was
also the source of the laurel wreath of ancient Greece, and therefore the
expression of "resting on one's laurels". Azores Laurel Laurus azorica is the only other species in the same
genus. California laurel Umbellularia californica is a related
tree or large shrub.
Here is the source page from Wikipedia:
Laurel
1. From Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia.
Laurel can refer to:
Places
Philippines
Laurel, Batangas
United States:
Laurel, Delaware
Laurel, Florida
Laurel, Indiana...
People
The name Laurel is widely used in
English, once being a moderately common name typically for girls; also as
Laurie.
Jose P. Laurel, former President of the
Philippines
Stan Laurel is one half of the comic duo
of Laurel and Hardy
Others
Some trees and shrubs in the laurel
family Lauraceae are called Laurel
Bay laurel Laurus
nobilis, the original true laurel that is the source of bay leaves used as a
seasoning. It was also the source of the laurel wreath of ancient Greece, and
therefore the expression of "resting on one's laurels."
Azores Laurel Laurus azorica is the only other species in the same
genus
California laurel Umbellularia californica is
a related tree or large shrub.
Other unrelated plants that have been mis-named as laurels:
Cherry laurel, often just called laurel in
gardens, is an evergreen cherry, Prunus laurocerasus
Portugal laurel is also an evergreen cherry, Prunus lusitanica.
Spotted laurel refers to variegated cultivars of the
Aucuba Aucuba japonica.
New Zealand laurel is now
referred to by the Maori name of Karaka.
Laurel is
an English coin.
Using the suggested-words-feature in QTSaver brought me even more new and accurate information:
http://www.mondialint.com/2709.htm
Seems that demand is regular but totally not exceeding the supply of the raw material. New Crop Laurel Leaves in full season but prices are firm due to high demand for lower grades FAQ, Mainly purchased by Far East importers / Hong Kong. We also recommend our buyers to ask their suppliers for a guarentee of free of ``Mersin Leaves`` and ``Sumac Leaves`` for Laurel Leaves. Especially some traders / exporters from Turkey are mixing it with ``Mersin Leaves`` in order to bring the price down of the Laurel Leaves.
Kalite Baharat is a supplier of raw materials for the spice industry. With over 25 years of experience in the spice industry, our main goal is to maintain customer satisfaction with the highest quality products at the most competitive prices. Kalite Baharat is a leading export company of oregano, laurel leaves, sage.
Laurel Leaves - Hand Select Quality (4-7cm or 5-10 cm)
Laurel Leaves -Fair Average Quality
Laurel Leaves -Cut & Sifted 2*2mm
DAUN SALAM - Indonesian Laurel Leaves - 1 ozfrom: Wira Aksara, Jakarta 4. rmg's Price: $10.00Prices subject to change.
Laurel Leaf Headpieces The economy laurel leaf headpiece is a great accessory for the price. Made of lightweight foil, green fabric, or heavy goldtone plastic "leaves" that are on an elastic band.
Lenox Laurel Leaf Table Linens feature laurel leaves in a lovely lattice design on cotton/polyester .
In Greek and Roman times, laurel leaves were woven into a crown and given to outstanding citizens who performed a heroic action. Laurel leaves, also known as bay leaves, are infamous for their bitter, spicy taste found in many food dishes. Not only are bay leaves used for culinary purposes, but they also have medicinal and cosmetic value. The leaves of a laurel grow on trees or large bushes. A plant can also make a successful house plant.
http://www.weaversites.com/AshevilleNatural/mountainlaurel.html
This "anchoring" causes the stamens to form little springs, and as the flower matures, the ends of the stamens are suddenly released from the petals , literally catapaulting their pollen into the air. There is one other laurel species you might see in our area, though I haven't - Kalmia angustifolia, or Sheep laurel. It is a smaller plant, the blooms grow less clustered, are usually much pinker,and the leaves grow mostly in whorls of three as opposed to the alternate leaves of Mountain Laurel.
Mystic Realm Herbal Lore - Bay THE MAGIC KITCHEN BY CELLI LAUGHING COYOTE The stately Laurel or Bay if you perfer. Beautiful tree that can grow to 20 feet it is usually found in the garden as an ornamental tree. Nice for the garden and you will be able to have all the fresh bay leaves you need during the summer. LAURUS NOBILIS Other names Bay or Laurel are know by BAIE, BAY LAUREL, BAY TREE, DAPHNE, GRECIAN LAUREL, INDIAN BAY, LAURIER d'APPOLLON, LAURYER SAUCE, LORBEER, NOBAL LAUREL, ROMAN LAUREL, SWEET BAY. According to Greek and Roman myth, the nymph Daphne was changed into a laurel tree by her father, the river god Peneus, to keep her from being attached by the love smitten god Apollo.
Medit. region The true laurel of antiquity. The very pleasantly aromatic leaves of this attractive plant are the bay leaves used in cooking. The leaves also yield an oil used in perfumery and medicine. In ancient Rome a garland of laurel leaves symbolized victory or accomplishment. Can grow to tree-size proportions in mild climates, but also does very well as a container plants.
On with my garden inventory - after close inspection I find that I have a Laurel tree - a whopper. Google tells me that it is a great source of Bay leaves (which sounds a bit silly - Laurel trees have bay leaves - but I concluded that Bay was probably a Laurel subspecies. My inital irritation at having spent fortunes on bay leaves for my stews and curries in the past, subsided when I inpected the leaves on the tree and found they were far bigger and fatter - and maybe even greener than the ones I use for cooking.
Re: Laurel Tree - or Bay ? The message from "Mike Lyle" contains these words: Older cookery books can be misleading by using "laurel" for "bay"; the original 1861 Mrs Beeton is, in my opinion, plain wrong. The 1906 edition is clearer, and says the "cherry-laurel" is sometimes used with discretion to give an almond-like flavour -- I don't think I ever would, though. I think that "almond flavour" is the cyanide content of the laurel leaves. Butterfly collectors used to put their victim in a jar with laurel leaves for the cyanide gas to kill them.
Re: Laurel Tree - or Bay ? On Sun, 14 Aug 2005 18:31:01 +0100, Jaques d'Alltrades wrote: and laurel a bit like bitter almonds, due to the prussic acid content. So, if you wish to avoid cyanide poisoning, don't use laurel as a flavouring... When I used laurel leaves to kill bugs a long time ago in my youth (when it was still ok to collect birds eggs as well,) I assumed that it was cyanide in the leaves wot done it. But you said the leaves contained prussic acid, which confused me !
http://www.florilegium.org/files/PLANTS/Laurel-Tree-art.html
As the story goes, Apollo loved the nymph Daphne and pursued her relentlessly. Cupid shot Daphne with an arrow, which caused her to hate Apollo; finally the gods turned her into a bay laurel tree. Apollo declared the tree sacred and thereafter wore a wreath of bay leaves on his head in remembrance of Daphne.() The Greeks came to believe that the tree would protect them from natural disasters, especially lightning.
From the days of ancient Rome to modern times many households would add several bay leaves to containers of stored grains and beans to repel grain beetles, and add them to boxes of stored clothing to repel moths. History of this Project I started growing this tree about 6 years ago from a seed. There are no pictures of the early development of this tree as I was not a member of the SCA at that time and was growing it for my own enjoyment rather than with an eye towards an A&S project. Traditionally, laurel or bay trees are started from root cuttings.
The Bay Laurel (Laurus nobilis, Lauraceae), also known as True Laurel, Sweet Bay, Grecian Laurel, or just Laurel, is an evergreen tree or large shrub reaching 10-18 m tall, native to the Mediterranean region. The leaves are 6-12 cm long and 2-4 cm broad, with a characteristic serrated and wrinkled margin.
They are odourless and kidneyshaped. The oil of Pimenta Acris, from which bay rum is distilled in the West Indies, and which is also called oil of bay. The leaves of Prunus Laurocerasus, or Cherry Laurel, to which the name of Laurel is now always applied.
Archon Books, 770 pp., Hamden, CT. Bay laurel, sweet laurel, laurel, or sweet bay, Laurus nobilis L.an evergreen shrub or small tree native to the Mediterranean region and Asia Minor, has been admired for its beauty and aromatic leaves since Greek and Roman times. Currently, the plant is both cultivated and collected from the wild in many Mediterranean countries.
The main constituent of the essential oil includes 1,8-cineole, - and -pinene, sabinene, l-linalool, eugenol, eugenol acetate, methyleugenol, l--terpineol acetate, -phellandrene, plus other esters and terpenoids (1.2-20, 1.2-120, 3.1-65, 14.1-9). The high concentrations of oil catechins in bay laurel leaves are maintained by drying (6.3-55). The dark to bright green leaves are very fragrant, and after drying they are broken, cracked, or cooked to release the characteristic aroma. Dried leaves are used as a flavoring for soups, fish, meats, stews, puddings, vinegars, and beverages. Oil of bay or oil of laurel leaves, the essential or volatile oil obtained by steam distillation, and an oleoresin have replaced dry leaves in some food preparations. Several varieties and leaf forms of bay laurel are available for growing as ornamentals.
Bay Laurel is used in aromatherapy for muscular and arthritis pain. What It Is; Why It Works The Bay Laurel is native to the Mediterranean region, where it is known more for its culinary than medicinal value. The strong aromatic whole leaves of the Bay Laurel are used as a seasoning in casseroles, soups, and stews. The evergreen leaves of the laurel were made into wreaths by Greeks in ancient times to crown Olympic champions. Bay Laurel leaves and berries are valued medicinally for their oils, which show some antibacterial and antiviral action.
Possible Drug Interactions No interactions have been reported. Special Information If You Are Pregnant or Breastfeeding Due to its historical use as a uterine stimulant, Bay Laurel should be avoided during pregnancy and nursing. How To Prepare To prepare Bay Laurel tea, add 1 to 2 teaspoons of crushed leaves per cup of boiling water, steep 10 minutes, then drain before drinking.
http://www.somaluna.com/product.asp?p=139
Laurel Leaves (Bay Leaves) Laurel Leaves (Bay Leaves) (laurus nobilis) Other names: Bay Leaves, Sweet Bay, True Laurel, Laurier d'Apollon, Roman Laurel, Noble Laurel, Daphne. Uses: Divination, Courage, Success, Competition.
Do not give this plant too much water, it needs very little - especially in the wintertime. To use the Bay Laurel leaves you can pull individual leaves off the sides of the stem. Cutting off the tip will create branching which will make a fuller shrub type plant.
You will not notice the scent of Bay Laurel until you cook the leaves, the flavor is stored in the leaf and not strong until the oils are released in the pot. For cooking, keep in mind that fresh Bay is stronger than the dried leaves so don't overdo it.
California Bay Laurel Soap - 100% scented and colored with real California Bay Laurel leaves
http://www.theepicentre.com/Spices/bay.html
Bay Leaf Laurus nobilis Fam: Lauraceae The bay tree is indigenous to Asia Minor, from where it spread to the Mediterranean and then to other countries with similar climates. According to legend the Delphi oracle chewed bay leaves, or sniffed the smoke of burning leaves to promote her visionary trances. Bay, or laurel, was famed in ancient Greece and Rome. Emperors, heroes and poets wore wreaths of laurel leaves. The Greek word for laurel is dhafni, named for the myth of the nymph Daphne, who was changed into a laurel tree by Gaea, who transformed her to help her escape Apollo’s attempted rape.
Doctors were also crowned with laurel, which was considered a cure-all. Triumphant athletes of ancient Greece were awarded laurel garlands and was given to winners at Olympic games since 776 BC Today, grand prix winners are bedecked with laurel wreaths. It was also believed that the laurel provided safety from the deities responsible for thunder and lightning. The Emperor Tiberius always wore a laurel wreath during thunderstorms. Spice Description The bay leaf is oval, pointed and smooth, 2.5 - 8 cm (1 to 3 in) long. When fresh, the leaves are shiny and dark green on top with lighter undersides. When dried the bay leaf is a matte olive green.
3 comments:
Hi Zeev,
Did you see all these spam comments on your blog? like the one above ...
Thanks, Zohar.
I hope that these spammers learn something before they leave my Site.
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