Mint

Scientific

Mentha contains ~25 species and innumerable hybrids — the genus hybridizes so freely that distinguishing species in the wild is notoriously difficult. Principal cultivated mints:

• Mentha × piperita — [[peppermint|peppermint]] (a hybrid; covered separately at [[peppermint]])
• Mentha spicata — spearmint; the dominant mint in Middle Eastern, North African, and South Asian cuisine
• Mentha pulegium — pennyroyal; traditionally used as an abortifacient (toxicity prevents broad culinary use)
• Mentha arvensis — corn mint / Japanese mint; the principal commercial source of menthol

Menthol — the cooling-active compound in mint — activates the TRPM8 cold receptor on mammalian neurons, producing the cooling sensation independent of actual temperature drop. The chemistry is parallel to capsaicin’s heat receptor activation, in inverse.

Cultural

Mint is universal. Moroccan mint tea (the spearmint-and-green-tea preparation that is the daily beverage of the Maghreb); British mint sauce with lamb; Indian raita and chutney; Vietnamese gỏi and bún preparations; Greek and Lebanese tabbouleh; the American mint julep — there is essentially no cuisine without a mint application.

The genus’s mythological lineage runs back at least to Greek myth: Minthe was a naiad transformed into the mint plant by jealous Persephone, condemned to release her fragrance only when crushed.

See also

Auto-generated from this entry’s typed relations: frontmatter, grouped by relation type so the editorial signal isn’t flattened.

• Member of: [[plants]]
• Cousin of: [[peppermint]]

Sources

• Wikipedia — Mentha

A plant entry in the 0mn1.one [[directory]].