Mint : Mints form a genus (Mentha) of plants herbaceous perennials family of Lamiaceae, subfamily Nepetoidaceae, tribe Menthae, genus comprising about 69 cash which easily hybridize with each other and many of which are grown as aromatic plants et condiments, ornamental ou medicinal. She would have vertus digestive, antipasmodics, carminatives, antiseptic, more tonics et stimulating. It would participate in the digestive balance and improve the general tone.
The word "mint" comes from the Latin mint, itself from the Greek minthe ou mintha, presumably borrowed from a Mediterranean substrate language.
Mint is very fragrant, used in infusion, to flavor liqueurs, lozenges et syrups, and for flavor some preparations culinary.
The various species of mints are native to temperate and subtropical regions of the Old and New Worlds. Several of them are widely cultivated.
There are several varieties of mint, whose uses are different.
– Spearmint: (Botanical name: Mentha spicata L.).
Other names: sweet mint, spearmint.
Common varieties: curly mint, Moroccan mint (naânaâ).
Distribution of spearmint: Spearmint is native to temperate western Asia (Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Cyprus) and southeastern Europe (ex-Yugoslavia, Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy)
It has become naturalized in many temperate countries in Asia, Europe (including France), as well as in Brazil and Argentina. It is grown in the United States of America, China, Turkey, Japan, India, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Canada.
It grows in moist, sunny to semi-shaded environments.
It is the most widespread; its fresh leaves flavor sauces (especially mint willow English, to accompany lamb), spice up cucumber salads, accompany Lebanese tabbouleh, are used to cook fresh peas, wrap Vietnamese spring rolls; dried, spearmint flavors tea, roasts and grilled lamb and mutton, meatballs and shish kebab in Middle Eastern cuisine.
- The pepper mint is the most fragrant : (Botanical name: Mentha ×piperita).
It is more involved in confectionery and liqueurs (candy, chocolates thickets, jellies, liqueurs, lozenges et syrups).
Peppermint is the most used in herbal medicine, for its properties, known from tradition and scientifically studied.
- The lemon mint : (Botanical name: Mentha citrata). The lemon mint (or bergamot mint or cologne mint) is rarer but sought after for its aroma fruity; it flavors the drinks and some pickles.
- The warbler mint : (Botanical name: Mentha pulegium L.).
Warbler mint (or warbler or Saint-Laurent herb) is sometimes grown as plants condiment for its very aromatic leaves. It is less prized because of its small size and pungent fragrance, has almost the same uses as the pepper mint.
– Water mint, with foliage dark green, often tinged with purple, has a pungent flavor. This mint has no culinary application. It is reserved for the perfume industry and pharmacology.
– Japanese mint gives the menthol. See Green.
- The mint-rooster or mint of Notre-Dame (Botanical name : Tanacetum balsamita L. subsp. Balsamita – Asteraceae family).
– Cat mint or catnip (Botanical name: Nepeta cataria L. – family of Lamiaceae).
Could belong to this genus, but also to the Teucrium, the mountain pennyroyal which was one of the multiple constituents of the theriac of the Western maritime pharmacopoeia in the XNUMXth century (Teucrium flavicans et Teucrium creticum) which should not be confused with pennyroyal.
Excerpt from the poem "Poetic Art" by the French poet Paul Verlaine (1844-1896):
“Let your verse be fortune telling
Scattered in the tense morning wind
Who goes smelling of mint and thyme…
And all the rest is literature. " in Long ago and Long ago - 1884.
History of Mint Nomenclature : Various mints were described in Greco-Roman antiquity, but the philologist Jacques André does not identify the species currently named mentha spicata among the many Greek and Latin names.
In 1753, when Linnaeus described the genus Mentha in Species plantarum, he recognized 10 different species including the mentha spicata "with flowers in spikes, and serrated oblong leaves" with three varieties viridis, longifolia, rotundifolia. In 1762, during the second edition of Species Plantarum, Linnaeus changed his mind and replaced M. spicata with three new species M. sylvestris, M. viridis et M.rotundifolia.
The precise analysis of the texts leads Farwell (in 1924) to consider that the mint in ear (spearmint) is the Mentha viridis L. of the 2nd edition of Species Pl. (1762), corresponding to the variety M. spicata L. var. viridis of the 1st ed. of Species Pl. (1753).
Currently (in 2015), the taxonomic databases (The Plant List, IPNI, etc.) retain the species Mentha spicata L. from 1753.
But the vulgar names spearmint, curled, derived from the scientific names M. viridis or M. crispa, remained in use.
Culinary uses of mint : Spearmint is very widely used as a aromatic herb, mainly in Mediterranean cuisines for example in the tea mint or couscous or Taboulé, and Asian (Vietnamese for example) with the nems and salads.
mint leaves dried can keep their flavor during two years.
The leaves mint in ear are also used in many culinary applications, such as with spot made of meat, Sauces for the leg bylamb or roast de beef (in Great Britain), Asian dishes.
Mint is also commonly used for flavor of ice, sorbets, ice cream and confectionery : candy, chocolates, fondants, chewing gum, lozenges with strong mint, etc. It can be associated with the licorice.
Many pâtisseries appeal to mint: cake, cake, biscuits, creams, Bavarian,…
Some culinary preparations and uses based on mint :
mint drinks : Used in herbal teas and in infusion, the spearmint leaf has a place of choice in the culture of the Maghreb.
Indeed, the famous Mint flavored tea is concocted by infusing Green tea with about 100 leaves mint fresh per liter and a lot of sucre.
In Belgium and France, the mixture of pastis, mint syrup and water is called "parrot" because of the soft green color reminiscent of that of the green parrot (in French-speaking Belgium, the parrot is the drink obtained by adding mint to the blonde pils beer. A very classic variant is the addition of mint to the White beer). The mixture pastis, mint syrup and lemon syrup grenadine is called an autumn leaf. The lemonade mixed with mint syrup is called Mint diabolo.
The Orangina drink mixed with syrup of grenadine is an Indian and an Orangina with mint syrup is called a Cowboy. The beer mixed with mint syrup is called a waltz.
Commonly called "water mint" a drink refreshing, made of syrup lengthened mintStill water orsparkling water.
The "icy mint" syrup is generally white or slightly bluish while the traditional mint syrup is often colored green (without colorant, its natural color is indeed closer to brown than emerald green).
Mint is also used in cocktails, the most classic of which are the Mint Julep (bourbon, fresh mint, sucre et water), having inspired the mojito of Cuba, which is made of rhum, lime and mint fresh.
Some mint drinks :