mint
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(mĭnt) 
n.
n.
- A member of the mint family.
- Any of various plants of the genus Mentha, characteristically having aromatic foliage and nearly regular flowers. Some plants are cultivated for their aromatic oil and used for flavoring.
- The foliage of some of these plants.
- Any of various similar or related plants, such as the stone mint.
- A candy flavored with mint.
[Middle English minte, from Old English, from Germanic *minta, from Latin menta, possibly from Greek minthē.]
minty mint'y adj.Related Videos:
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mint
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peppermint
An aromatic plant originally from the Mediterranean region.
Peppermint has oval, lanceolate leaves. It has a strong, penetrating smell. A small quantity is quite enough to flavor dishes.
Spearmint has highly scented leaves colored bright gray-green.
Buying
Choose: dried mint leaves that are a blackish-green (unless they have been dried in a microwave oven). Buy them in a store with a quick turnover of stock.
Serving Ideas
Mint is used fresh or dried. It flavors cold or hot soups, sauces, certain vegetables (eggplant, cabbage, cucumber, peas, tomato), potato salads, meat, game, fish, ice cream, vinaigrettes and mayonnaises. It can be delicious mixed with lemon. It accompanies lamb in the form of a jellied sauce. Fresh spearmint is wrapped around Vietnamese summer rolls and is used in Lebanese salad tabbouleh. It is a part of North African, Middle Eastern, Indian, Chinese, Thai and Indo-Chinese cuisines. Mint perfumes curries, chutneys, shish kebabs, yogurt, salads, sauces and tea.
Its essential oil flavors chewing gum, chocolate, liqueurs, toothpastes and medicines.
Mint is also made into herbal tea.
Storing
At room temperature: 2 years, dried,
in an airtight container away from light and moisture.
In the fridge: fresh, a few days.
Nutritional Information
Peppermint contains menthol.
Properties: carminative, antispasmodic, antiseptic, cholagogic, tonic, expectorant, stomachic and digestive. Applied as a balm, menthol is said to be beneficial in treating headaches and muscular pains. In high doses, mint can cause insomnia, whereas in low doses, it promotes sleep.
spearmint
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In botany, any strong-scented herb of the genus Mentha, composed of about 25 species of perennial herbs and certain related genera of the mint family (Lamiaceae, or Labiatae), which contains about 7,000 species of flowering plants in about 236 genera. Mints are important to humans as herb plants useful for their flavour, fragrance, and medicinal properties. True mints have square stems and oppositely arranged aromatic leaves. Small flowers, usually pale purple, pink, or white, are arranged in clusters, either forming separate whorls or crowded together in a terminal spike. All Mentha species contain volatile oil in resinous dots in the leaves and stems. Included in this genus are peppermint, spearmint, marjoram, rosemary, and thyme; other members of the mint family include lavender, hyssop, and catnip.
For more information on mint, visit Britannica.com.
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Long a symbol of hospitality, Greek mythology claims that mint was once the nymph Mentha. She angered Pluto's wife Persephone, who turned her into this aromatic herb. There are over 30 species of mint, the two most popular and widely available being peppermint and spearmint. Peppermint is the more pungent of the two. It has bright green leaves, purple-tinged stems and a peppery flavor. Spearmint leaves are gray-green or true green and have a milder flavor and fragrance. Mint grows wild throughout the world and is cultivated in Europe, the United States and Asia. It's most plentiful during summer months but many markets carry it year-round. Choose leaves that are evenly colored with no sign of wilting. Store a bunch of mint, stems down, in a glass of water with a plastic bag over the leaves. Refrigerate in this manner for up to a week, changing the water every 2 days. Mint is used in both sweet and savory dishes and in drinks such as the famous mint julep. Mint is available fresh, dried, as an extract, and in the form of oil of spearmint or oil of peppermint, both highly concentrated flavorings. Most forms can usually be found in supermarkets. See also herbs.
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mint, in botany, common name for members of the Labiatae, a large family of chiefly annual or perennial herbs. Several species are shrubby or climbing forms or, rarely, small trees. Members of the family are found throughout the world, but the chief center of distribution is the Mediterranean region, where these plants form a dominant part of the vegetation. The Labiatae typically have square stems, paired opposite leaves, and tubular flowers with two lips, the upper divided into two lobes and the lower into three. The leaves sometimes grow in whorls; the flowers may be white or shades of red, blue, or purple.
The family is well known for the aromatic volatile or essential oils in the foliage, which are used in perfumes, flavorings, and medicines. Among the more important essential oils are those derived from sage, lavender, rosemary, patchouli, and the true mints. Many of the commonly used potherbs are from the mint family, e.g., basil, thyme, savory, marjoram, oregano, and the plants mentioned above. As is true of most potherbs and spices, these have a history of medicinal use in domestic remedies. Catnip, pennyroyal, hyssop, self-heal, the horehound of confectionery, and curative teas from such plants as bee balm and yerba buena have been similarly used. Species of the Labiatae are often grown as ornamentals as well as in herb gardens, and in the United States several have escaped cultivation and become naturalized as wildflowers. Types of hyssop, sage, pennyroyal, mint, and lavender are among the prevalent native species.
The true mints belong to the genus Mentha. Commercially the most important species is peppermint (M. piperita). The leaves and tops are sometimes dried and utilized for flavoring and in medicine but are chiefly in demand for the oil, distilled out for use as a carminative and stimulant, for its derivative menthol (obtained also from other mints), and for flavoring purposes, especially in chewing gum and candy and as a disguise for disagreeable tastes of drugs. Spearmint (M. spicata) is distinguishable from peppermint by the absence of a leafstalk. Its flavor is milder (the aromatic principle is carvone), and it too is used in chewing gum and medicines and is often cultivated in gardens as a flavoring. Both plants are European perennials now naturalized in the United States.
Also useful medicinally and as a source of an essential oil is the pennyroyal. True, or European, pennyroyal (M. pulegium) is a prostrate perennial. The species name [Lat.,=fleabane] is an herbalist's name given for the plant's supposed property of driving away fleas. The related American pennyroyal (Hedeoma pulegioides) is a branching annual; pennyroyal tea was a traditional domestic remedy. Other American species of Hedeoma and similar genera are also called pennyroyal. The mint family is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Lamiales.
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Genus of herbs in family Lamiaceae; unidentified toxin; clinical signs include incoordination, diarrhea; with some plants abortion and photosensitization also recorded; includes M. australis (native mint), M. longifolia (horse mint), M. pulegium (penny royal), M. satureioides (native mint).
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Mentha
| Mentha | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Mentha longifolia | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Lamiaceae |
| Tribe: | Mentheae |
| Genus: | Mentha L. |
| Type species | |
| Mentha spicata L. |
|
| Species | |
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Mentha (also known as Mint, from Greek míntha,[1] Linear B mi-ta)[2] is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae (mint family).[3] The species are not clearly distinct and estimates of the number of species varies from 13 to 18.[4] Hybridization between some of the species occurs naturally. Many other hybrids as well as numerous cultivars are known in cultivation. The genus has a subcosmopolitan distribution across Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and North America.[5]
Mints are aromatic, almost exclusively perennial, rarely annual, herbs. They have wide-spreading underground and overground stolons[6] and erect, square,[7] branched stems. The leaves are arranged in opposite pairs, from oblong to lanceolate, often downy, and with a serrate margin. Leaf colors range from dark green and gray-green to purple, blue, and sometimes pale yellow.[5] The flowers are white to purple and produced in false whorls called verticillasters. The corolla is two-lipped with four subequal lobes, the upper lobe usually the largest. The fruit is a small, dry capsule containing one to four seeds.
While the species that make up the Mentha genus are widely distributed and can be found in many environments, most Mentha grow best in wet environments and moist soils. Mints will grow 10–120 cm tall and can spread over an indeterminate area. Due to their tendency to spread unchecked, mints are considered invasive.[8]
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Contents
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Species
The list below includes all of the taxa that have been recognized as species in recent works on Mentha. No author has recognized all of them. As with all biological classifications of plants, this list can go out of date at a moment's notice. Common names are also given for species that have them. Synonyms, along with cultivars and varieties are given in articles on the species.
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Taxonomy
Mentha is a member of the tribe Mentheae in the subfamily Nepetoideae. The tribe contains about 65 genera and relationships within it remain obscure.[3] Different authors have disagreed on the circumscription of Mentha. Some authors have excluded Mentha cervina from the genus. Mentha cunninghamii has also been excluded by some authors, even in some recent treatments of the genus.[10] In 2004, a molecular phylogenetic study indicated that both of these species should be included in Mentha.[4]
Selected hybrids
The mint family has a large grouping of recognized hybrids. Synonyms, along with cultivars and varieties where available, are included within the specific species.
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Cultivation
All mints prefer, and thrive in, cool, moist spots in partial shade.[11] 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.[11]
Some mints can be propagated by seed. Growth from seed can be an unreliable method for raising mint for two reasons: mint seeds are highly variable - one might not end up with what one presupposed was planted;[11] and some mint varieties are sterile. It is more effective to take and plant cuttings from the runners of healthy mints.
The most common and popular mints for cultivation are peppermint (Mentha × piperita), spearmint (Mentha spicata), and (more recently) apple mint (Mentha suaveolens).
Mints are supposed to make good companion plants, repelling pest insects and attracting beneficial ones. Mints are susceptible to whitefly and aphids.
Harvesting of mint leaves can be done at any time. Fresh mint leaves should be used immediately or stored up to a couple of days in plastic bags within a refrigerator. Optionally, mint can be frozen in ice cube trays. Dried mint leaves should be stored in an airtight container placed in a cool, dark, dry area.[12]
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 is not 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, while in British cuisine and American cuisine, mint sauce and mint jelly are used, respectively.
Mint is a necessary ingredient in Touareg tea, a popular tea in northern African and Arab countries.
Alcoholic drinks sometimes feature mint for flavor or garnish, such as 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.
Mints are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Buff Ermine.
Medicinal and cosmetic
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This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability. |
Mint was originally used as a medicinal herb to treat stomach ache and chest pains, and it is commonly used in the form of tea as a home remedy to help alleviate stomach pain. 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". During the Middle Ages, powdered mint leaves were used to whiten teeth. Mint tea is a strong diuretic.[citation needed] A common use is as an antipruritic, especially in insect bite treatments (often along with camphor).[citation needed] The strong, sharp flavor and scent of mint is sometimes used as a mild decongestant for illnesses such as the common cold.[citation needed] Mint is also used in some shampoo products.
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. Menthol is also used in cigarettes as an additive, because it blocks out the bitter taste of tobacco and soothes the throat.
Insecticides
Mint oil is also used as an environmentally-friendly insecticide for its ability to kill some common pests like wasps, hornets, ants and cockroaches.[13]
Aromatherapy
Known in Greek Mythology as the herb of hospitality,[14] one of the first known uses for mint in Europe was as a room deodorizer.[15] The herb was strewn across floors to cover the smell of the hard-packed soil. Stepping on the mint helped to spread its scent through the room. Today, it is more commonly used for aromatherapy through the use of essential oils.
Diseases
Main article: List of mint diseases
Etymology of "mint"
Mint descends from the Latin word mentha, which is rooted in the Greek word minthe, personified 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).[16]
Mint leaves, without a qualifier like peppermint or apple mint, generally refers to spearmint leaves.
In Spain, Central and South America, mint is known as hierbabuena (literally, "good herb"). In Lusophone countries, especially in Portugal, mint species are popularly known as Hortelã. In many Indo-Aryan languages, it is called Pudīna.
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, any small mint-flavored confectionery item can be called a mint.[17]
In common usage, other plants with fragrant leaves may be called "mint" although they are not in the Mint Family.
- Vietnamese Mint, commonly used in Southeast Asian cuisine is Persicaria odorata in the family Polygonaceae, collectively known as smartweeds or pinkweeds.
- "Mexican mint marigold" is Tagetes lucida in the sunflower family (Asteraceae).
References
- ^ μίνθα. Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; A Greek–English Lexicon at Perseus Project
- ^ Palaeolexicon, Word study tool of ancient languages
- ^ a b Harley, Raymond M.; Atkins, Sandy; Budantsev, Andrey L.; Cantino, Philip D.; Conn, Barry J.; Grayer, Renée J.; Harley, Madeline M.; de Kok, Rogier P.J. et al (2004). "Labiatae". In Kubitzki, Klaus; Kadereit, Joachim W.. The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants. VII. Berlin; Heidelberg, Germany: Springer-Verlag. pp. 167–275. ISBN 978-3-540-40593-1.
- ^ a b Bunsawat, Jiranan; Elliott, Natalina E.; Hertweck, Kate L.; Sproles, Elizabeth; Alice, Lawrence A. (2004). "Phylogenetics of Mentha (Lamiaceae): Evidence from Chloroplast DNA Sequences". Systematic Botany 29 (4): 959–64. doi:10.1600/0363644042450973. JSTOR 25064024.
- ^ a b Brickell, Christopher; Zuk, Judith D. (1997). The American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants. New York, NY, USA: DK Publishing. p. 668. ISBN 0-7894-1943-2.
- ^ Aflatuni, Abbas; J. Uusitalo, S. Ek, A. Hohtola (January/February 2005). "Variation in the Amount of Yield and in the Extract Composition Between Conventionally Produced and Micropropagated Peppermint and Spearmint". Journal of Essential Oil Research 17 (1): 66–70. ISSN 1041-2905. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4091/is_200501/ai_n9474312. Retrieved 2005-05-10.
- ^ Rose, Francis (1981). The Wild Flower Key. Frederick Warne & Co. p. 310. ISBN 0-7232-2419-6.
- ^ Brickell, Christopher; Cole, Trevor (2002). The American Horticultural Society: Encyclopedia of Plants & Flowers. New York, NY, USA: DK Publishing. p. 605. ISBN 0-7894-8993-7.
- ^ USDA GRIN: Mentha cordifolia Opiz ex Fresen.
- ^ Tucker, Arthur O.; Naczi, Robert F. C. (2007). "Mentha: An Overview of its Classification and Relationships". In Lawrence, Brian M.. Mint: The Genus Mentha. Boca Raton, FL, USA: CRC Press, Taylor and Francis Group. ISBN 978-0-8493-0779-9.[page needed]
- ^ a b c Bradley, Fern (1992). Rodale's All-new Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening. Emmaus, Pennsylvania, USA: Rodale Press. p. 390. ISBN 0-87857-999-0.
- ^ Ortiz, Elisabeth (1992). The Encyclopedia of Herbs, Spices & Flavorings. London: Dorling Kindersley. pp. 36–7. ISBN 1-56458-065-2.
- ^ BOUNDS, GWENDOLYN "Death by Mint Oil: Natural Pesticides", The Wall Street Journal, July 30, 2009, accessed December 6, 2010.
- ^ http://www.herbsociety-stu.org/Mint.htm
- ^ http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0518/p18s02-hfks.html
- ^ Quattrocchi, Umberto (1947-). CRC World dictionary of plant names: Common names, Scientific Names, Eponyms, Sonyonyms, and Etymology. III M-Q. CRC Press. p. 1658.
- ^ Davidson, Alan (1999). The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 508. ISBN 0-19-211579-0.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Mentha |
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Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Mint (plant). |
- Germplasm Resources Information Network: Mentha
- Flora Europaea: Mentha
- Flora of China: Mentha
- United States Department of Agriculture (Online Reference)
- Botanical.com entry on Mint
- Plants For a Future: Mentha genus search page
- Preview of Mint: The Genus Mentha
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