The herb peppermint, a natural cross between two types of mint (water mint and spearmint), grows throughout Europe and North America . Both peppermint leaves and the essential oil from peppermint have been used for health purposes. Peppermint oil is the essential oil taken from the flowering parts and leaves of the peppermint plant.
However, many of the most popular mints citing these natural sources contain none in their ingredient list or contain only trace amounts. The production of mints as a discrete food item can be traced back to the 18th century with the invention of Altoids.
This begs the inquiry “Where do mints grow in the world?”
The genus has a subcosmopolitan distribution across Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and North America. The species that make up the genus Mentha are widely distributed and can be found in many environments. Most grow best in wet environments and moist soils. Mints will grow 10–120 cm (4–48 inches) tall and can spread over an indeterminate area.
What are mints made of?
Mints sometimes contain derivatives from plants such as peppermintoil or spearmintoil, or wintergreenfrom the plant genus Gaultheria. However, many of the most popular mints citing these natural sources contain none in their ingredient list or contain only trace amounts.
One query we ran across in our research was “What is a mint?”.
A mint is a food item often consumed as an after-meal refreshment or before business and social engagements to improve breath odor. Mints are commonly believed to soothe the stomach given their association with natural byproducts of the plant genus Mentha.
One way to think about this is the mini-mints like Tic Tac and Blitz mints are tiny tablets or compressed mints that have a hard outer shell made by a process called panning. The design of the mint itself is tiny with a compressed center that is easy to manufacture and an attractive shell with a bright color, cute shape, or shiny finish.
Where does menthol come from in Peppermint?
Menthol occurs naturally in peppermint oil (along with a little menthone, the ester menthyl acetate and other compounds), obtained from Mentha × piperita (peppermint). Japanese menthol also contains a small percentage of the 1-epimer, neomenthol.
Where does Mentha come from?
Indigenous to Europe and the Middle East, the plant is now widely spread and cultivated in many regions of the world. It is occasionally found in the wild with its parent species. Although the genus Mentha comprises more than 25 species, the most common one used is peppermint.