Sorry you don't understand what bay leaves do.

They are essential to Cajun cooking and I can immediately taste when they're missing, as can most people.

Grocery store bay leaves are tasteless, at least around where I am. Good ones (I get them from Penney’s) are highly flavorful and add a noticeable flavor to soups and sauces. I even found myself thinking that I’d put too much bay leaf in a pot of beans once, it was threatening to overwhelm the other flavors.

I did not now that at leaf denialism was a thing. I use it regularly with roasts and stews, and it’s fine. I can see how one could not like its taste, but going on a crusade or being upset about other people using it sounds a bit much.

In my experience whenever you have a slow simmering anything and it “feels like something’s missing” – you forgot the bay leaf.

No I have no idea what it actually adds to the flavor. It feels pointless. But skip the leaf and you can always tell.

try with a large handful of fresh ones... not sad dry ones. you can also taste its tea to learn