Peppermint or (Mentha piperita) is one of the most popular flavors of the mint family. It can be found in a wide variety of foods especially sweet candies and cakes. The history of peppermint goes back to ancient times. As early as 1500 BC it was used as a medicinal herb and as a flavoring in food. Great scholars such as Pliny the Elder and Aristotle argued over its properties.
- Peppermint latte is typically made of Espresso, steamed milk, mocha sauce and peppermint-flavored syrup.
- Peppermint is a hybrid mint between watermint and spearmint.
- The first description of peppermint was in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus.
- Peppermint has high menthol content, that is widely used to relieve minor throat irritation.
- Peppermint syrup is a delicious complement to coffee and hot chocolate.
- Peppermint has escaped cultivation and can be found growing wild in moist areas throughout Europe and North America.
- Peppermint oil is produced by specialized cells on the underside of the leaves.
- The best time to harvest and collect the oil is on a sunny day as flowering is just beginning. This is when menthol is at its peak.
- Peppermint is the number 1 selling flavor among non-chocolate, hard candies.
- Ancient Greeks believed mint could cure hiccups
- The US produces 70% of the Worlds peppermint supply.
- Peppermint has been used in Eastern and Western traditional medicine as an aromatic, antispasmodic, and antiseptic in treating indigestion, nausea, sore throat, colds, toothaches, cramps, and cancers.
- Peppermint is the most extensively used volatile oil, both commercially and medicinally.
- Peppermint is thought to have originated in Northern Africa and the Mediterranean.
- In the Ebers Papyrus, an ancient Egyptian medical text dating to 1550 BC, mint is listed as calming to stomach pains.
- Mint was so valued in Egypt that it was used as a form of currency.
- According to Greek Mythology, Mint was supposedly the river Nymph Hades was trying to cheat on his wife with, but apparently, the wife found out and turned Mint into a lowly mint plant. Supposedly mint got its pungent, sweet smell when Hades softened the spell so that when people walked upon his lover they would smell her sweetness.
- Peppermint was eventually introduced to Europe where it also became a popular culinary and medicinal herb as early as 1240 AD.
- Monks used mint as a tooth polisher while cheesemakers used mint to keep rodents out of their storage areas.
- Even those without severe stomach troubles can benefit from a cup of peppermint tea after dinner to aid digestion. Peppermint tea has long been thought to have a calming effect that can help to relieve stress and settle the mind before sleep.
- Peppermint also contains high levels of the antioxidant rosmarinic acid. This antioxidant helps fight allergic asthma, atherosclerosis, and cancer
- The top 5 peppermint-producing states are Oregon, Washington and Idaho with more than 1 million pounds each, followed by Indiana, California and Wisconsin. (2010)
- The four varieties of peppermint are Black Mitcham, the original selection from the wild, and three variations: Todd’s Mitcham, Murray Mitcham and Robert’s Mitcham.
- Peppermint is one of the oldest and best-tasting home remedies for indigestion.
- The Romans believed eating mint would increase intelligence. The scent of mint was also supposed to stop a person from losing his temper, and royal ambassadors carried mint sprigs in their pockets.
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