Home >> All Categories >> Food 101 >> Herb-a-Day: Spearmint
Spearmint (Mentha spicata), along with peppermint, is one of the most frequently used herbs in the mint family. Spearmint is a perennial herb native to Europe and Asia that thrives in wet soils and lends a sweet and refreshing flavor to foods and beverages.
Spearmint is a great choice for home herb gardens because it grows in a variety of climates and soil conditions, but it is also susceptible to disease. The leaves can be used whole and fresh, dried, frozen or preserved in syrups. Spearmint also makes great flavored salts and sugars.
The flavor of spearmint is most recognizable in sweets and beverages, but spearmint is often used in Middle Eastern cuisine and is a main ingredient in the mojito, a delicious Cuban cocktail.
Morocco has its own unique cultivar of spearmint called "nana," which is used in Touareg tea (a green tea and mint flavored beverage). Spearmint is a popular flavor in herbal teas because it is well known for its medicinal and soothing properties.
Spearmint is also the herb of choice for mint jelly, which can easily be prepared by steeping fresh mint leaves in sweetened gelatin.
Recipes on the Web Using Spearmint
Watermelon And Cantaloupe Wedges With Lime-Mint Syrup
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