Bay leaf does provide a subtle earthy flavour, but it is also an anti fungal. I guess your left overs will stay edible a bit longer.
It also looks exactly the same as a clove leaf. A shop sold me a bag of mis-labelled clove leafs and my Bolognese that evening tasted most strange








I mistook the James Hoffman for Albert Hoffman (discoverer of LSD)
Going to be a wild tiramisu night…