Mint is a culinary herb used for flavoring and garnishing different cuisines. The herb is native to Europe and Asia. Mint is a natural source of menthol, and commonly used in Middle Eastern cooking. Varieties of mint like peppermint and spearmint are major essential oils used in flavoring prepared foods.


Popular Types of Mint

• Japanese Mint (M. arvensis var. Piperescens)
• Peppermint (M. xpipita)
• Spearmint (M. spicata)

Uses of Mint
A variety of mint is put to a number of uses in flavoring products in different industries. Some of the popular uses are:

Food
Mint is widely used to flavor food, make chutneys, savoury snacks etc.

Essential Oil
Oils from a variety of mint are popularly used in food and pharmaceutical industry.

Beverages
mint extracts are also used to flavor certain soft drinks and cocktails.

• Tea
• Toothpaste, powder and mouthwash
• Confectionery
• Chewing gum
• Ice cream

Medicine
Peppermint is used for curing stomache problems, inhibiting growth of certain bacteria, relaxing muscles etc.

• Cosmetics
• Aromatherapy