Mentha /Mint
About: Mint (lat. Mentha Piperita) is an aromatic, almost exclusively perennial, rarely annual herb. It is from 30 to 80cm high and has a wide-spreading underground and overground stolons and erect, square, branched stems. The leaves are arranged in opposite pairs, from oblong to lanceolate, often downy, and with a serrated margin. In Dalmatia, they grow by themselves in an almost weedlike manner. There are many kinds of mint found in Croatia, like Mentha pulegium, Mentha longifolia and Menta chrispa but the most common is Mentha Aquatica. Mint originates from southern Europe and the Mediteranium but it can now be found growing in all parts of the world. There are many kinds of Mint but most commonly used for human consumption are spearmint and peppermint.
History: Like so many other plants from our region, Mint was also loved in Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, especially for religious purposes. It is first mentioned in Greek mythology trough two stories: The first of Hades and the Nimf named Mentha and the other on of Pluton and the Nimf Mentha. Romans mixed it with honey for breath refreshment and the Hebrews considered it to be sacred. In Arabic countries, it was used as an aphrodisiac. The famous German physician Sebastian Kneipp recommended mint for many issues such as heart problems and sickness, for which it used until this day.
Modern use: Mint is used in various ways depending on the reason of consumption. If used for medical purposes one can use essential oil, tincture, tea or eat mint raw. Mint oil gives great results in helping people who are oversensitive to cold. Other medical uses include digestion problems, sickness, headaches and dental issues. In cuisine, it is often used in making liquors, cocktails and desserts, in meat dishes, especially complementing lamb. It works great with parsley, coriander, cardamom and basil. Even though it has it’s many benefits on human organism it can also have some side effects like a possible overdose, cramps, diarrhoea or negatively affecting lactation in a woman who is breastfeeding. When using mint for medical purposes one should contact and consult with a physician.
Fun facts: There is a special delicacy made from mentha, to be more precise from Melissa officinalis or Honey Mint. Mint honey is dark red, has an intense floral smell and a specific sweet and sour taste. If it is left to set for a longer period of time it crystalises and becomes golden yellow. The honey has a soothing effect and increases appetite. It’s rich in vitamin C and is also used to help with anaemia. It’s also a fun fact that the honey mint makes bees agitated and they tend to gove the beekeepers a hard time when handling them.
I grow Catnip in a few pots