Everything about Mentha totally explained
Mentha (
mint) is a
genus of about 25
species (and many hundreds of
varieties) of
flowering plants in the
family Lamiaceae (Mint Family). Species within Mentha have a
subcosmopolitan distribution across
Europe,
Africa,
Asia,
Australia, and
North America. Several mint
hybrids commonly occur.
Mints are aromatic, almost exclusively
perennial, rarely
annual,
herbs. They have wide-spreading underground
rhizomes and erect, branched stems. The
leaves are arranged in opposite pairs, from simple
oblong to
lanceolate, often downy, and with a serrated margin. Leaf colors range from dark green and gray-green to purple, blue and sometimes pale yellow.
Species
This covers a selection of what are considered to be pure species of mints. As with all classifications of plants, this list can go out of date at a moment's notice. Listed here are accepted species names and common names (where available). Synonyms, along with
cultivars and varieties (where available), are listed under the species.
Selected hybrids
The mint family has a large grouping of recognized hybrids. As with all classifications of plants, this list can go out of date at a moment's notice. Synonyms, along with cultivars and varieties where available, are included within the specific species.
| Mentha × gracilis - Ginger Mint
Mentha × piperita – Peppermint
Mentha × rotundifolia (M. longifolia × M. suaveolens) - False Apple-mint
Mentha × smithiana (M. aquatica × M. arvensis × M. spicata) - Red Raripila Mint
Mentha × villosa (M. spicata × M. suaveolens; syn. M. cordifolia) - Apple-mint
Mentha × villosonervata (M. longifolia × M. spicata) - Sharp-toothed Mint
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Cultivation
All mints prefer, and thrive, in cool, moist spots in partial shade. In general, mints tolerate a wide range of conditions, and can also be grown in full sun.
They are fast growing, extending their reach along surfaces through a network of
runners. Due to their speedy growth, one plant of each desired mint, along with a little care, will provide more than enough mint for home use. Some mint species are more
invasive than others. Even with the less invasive mints, care should be taken when mixing any mint with any other plants, lest the mint take over. To control mints in an open environment, mints should be planted in deep, bottomless containers sunk in the ground, or planted above ground in tubs and barrels.
Uses
Culinary
The leaf, fresh or dried, is the culinary source of mint. Fresh mint is usually preferred over dried mint when storage of the mint isn't a problem. The leaves have a pleasant warm, fresh, aromatic, sweet flavor with a cool aftertaste. Mint leaves are used in teas, beverages, jellies, syrups, candies, and ice creams. In Middle Eastern cuisine mint is used on lamb dishes. In British cuisine, mint sauce is popular with lamb.
Mint is a necessary ingredient in
Touareg tea, a popular tea in northern African and Arab countries.
Alcoholic drinks sometimes feature flavor of mint, namely the
Mint Julep and the
Mojito.
Crème de menthe is a mint-flavored liqueur used in drinks such as the
grasshopper.
Mint
essential oil and
menthol are extensively used as flavorings in breath fresheners, drinks,
antiseptic mouth rinses,
toothpaste,
chewing gum,
desserts, and
candies;
see mint (candy) and
mint chocolate. The substances that give the mints their characteristic aromas and flavors are
menthol (the main aroma of
Peppermint, and
Japanese Peppermint) and
pulegone (in
Pennyroyal and
Corsican Mint). The compound primarily responsible for the aroma and flavor of spearmint is
R-
carvone.
Methyl salicylate, commonly called "oil of wintergreen", is often used as a mint flavoring for foods and candies due to its mint-like flavor.
Mints are used as food plants by the larvae of some
Lepidoptera species including
Buff Ermine.
Medicinal and cosmetic
Mint was originally used as a medicinal herb to treat
stomach ache and
chest pains. To cure stomach aches, put dried mint leaves in boiling water, then, when it cools drink it. This tea is called monstranzo. During the
Middle Ages, powdered mint leaves were used to whiten
teeth. Mint tea is a strong
diuretic. Mint also aids
digestion.
Menthol from mint essential oil (40-90%) is an ingredient of many
cosmetics and some
perfumes. Menthol and mint essential oil are also much used in medicine as a component of many drugs, and are very popular in
aromatherapy.
A common use is as an
antipruritic, especially in insect bite treatments (often along with
camphor).
Menthol is also used in cigarettes as an additive, because it blocks out the bitter taste of tobacco and soothes the throat.
Many people also believe the strong, sharp flavor and scent of Mint can be used as a mild
decongestant for illnesses such as the
common cold.
In Rome,
Pliny recommended that a wreath of mint was a good thing for students to wear since it was thought to "exhilarate their minds". Some modern research suggests that he was right.
Insecticides
Mint leaves are often used by many campers to repel
mosquitoes. It is also said that extracts from mint leaves have a particular mosquito-killing capability.
Mint oil is also used as an environmentally-friendly
insecticide for its ability to kill some common pests like wasps, hornets, ants and cockroaches.
Diseases
Origin and usage of the word mint
Mint descends from the
Latin word
mentha, which is rooted in the
Greek word
minthe, mentioned in
Greek mythology as
Minthe, a nymph who was transformed into a mint plant. The word itself probably derives from a now extinct pre-Greek language, see
Pre-Greek substrate.
Mint leaves, without a qualifier like
peppermint or
apple mint, generally refers to
spearmint leaves.
In
Central and
South America, mint is known as
hierbabuena (literally, "good herb"). In
Lusophone countries, especially in
Brazil, mint species are popularly known as "
Hortelã". In the
Hindi and
Urdu languages it's called
Pudeena.
The taxonomic family Lamiaceae is known as the
mint family. It includes many other aromatic herbs, including most of the more common cooking herbs, including
basil,
rosemary,
sage,
oregano and
catnip.
As an English colloquial term,
mint stands for any small sugar confectionery item flavored to taste like the aforementioned plant.
In common usage, several other plants with fragrant leaves may be erroneously called a mint.
Vietnamese Mint, commonly used in
Southeast Asian cuisine, isn't a member of the
mint family (taxonomic family Lamiaceae).
Further Information
Get more info on 'Mentha'.
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