Mint
Mint is the cool, refreshing herb that brightens everything from summer drinks to savory lamb dishes.
In a nutshell
Mint is a fast-growing perennial herb prized for its intense menthol aroma and cool, clean flavor. It’s equally at home in sweet and savory cooking, and a handful of fresh leaves can transform a dish in seconds. Dried mint brings a more muted but still useful punch to spice blends and marinades.
Nutrition
≈ 9 Calories and 0.1g fat per tablespoon.
Mint delivers a meaningful hit of vitamin A and vitamin C, both important antioxidants, along with iron and manganese. The star compound is menthol, the volatile oil responsible for mint’s cooling sensation, which has well-documented properties as a mild digestive aid and decongestant. Because you typically use mint in small quantities, the nutrient contribution per serving is modest, but the bioactive compounds — rosmarinic acid, flavonoids, and essential oils — pack a real functional punch even in a garnish. Nutrition per 100g via Spoonacular.
Culinary uses & pairings
Fresh mint leaves are a natural finisher. Tear them over grain salads, tabbouleh, and fattoush; press a few into a mojito or mint julep; or muddle them into lemonade for an instant upgrade. In Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian cooking, whole sprigs or chiffonade ribbons are tucked into spring rolls, mixed into yogurt sauces, and scattered over grilled meats just before serving so the heat barely wilts them and releases their fragrance without cooking away the menthol.
In the kitchen, dried mint is the workhorse. It’s blended into za’atar, rubbed onto lamb chops, and stirred into Turkish lentil soups. Fresh mint shines in desserts too — folded into whipped cream, churned into ice cream, or layered into a chocolate ganache tart. When cooking with mint, add it at the very end of heat exposure whenever possible; prolonged cooking turns it dull and slightly bitter.
Pairs well with
Substitutions
Buying & storage
Look for fresh mint bunches with vivid, deep-green leaves that are firm and unblemished — avoid any yellowing, slimy, or wilted stems. Spearmint is the most common variety in US supermarkets and is sold loose in the produce section or as a live potted plant. Farmers markets often carry peppermint, chocolate mint, and other specialty varieties. Dried mint should smell bright and herbal, not dusty or faintly musty; if a jar doesn’t smell like anything when you open it, it’s past its prime.
Varieties
- Spearmint: The most widely available variety in US stores; milder and sweeter than peppermint, with a classic flavor that suits both savory and sweet cooking.
- Peppermint: Higher in menthol than spearmint, giving it a sharper, more intense cool bite; favored in teas, candies, and desserts.
- Chocolate mint: A peppermint cultivar with a subtle cocoa undertone in its aroma; lovely in desserts and hot drinks.
- Apple mint: Fuzzy-leaved with a fruity, gentle flavor; great in fruit salads, cocktails, and herbal teas.
- Vietnamese mint (rau răm): Not a true mint but used as one in Southeast Asian cooking; peppery and slightly lemony, it’s essential in Vietnamese salads and soups.
Recipes using mint
383 recipes across our recipe sites use mint. A few favorites:
Cooking with mint tonight?
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History & origin
Mint has been cultivated for at least 3,000 years, with evidence of its use in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. The Greeks associated it with the myth of Minthe, a nymph transformed into the plant by the goddess Persephone. Roman writers like Pliny the Elder praised its digestive and aromatic qualities, and the herb was commonly strewn on floors and used to scent baths. It traveled across trade routes into the Arab world, where it became a cornerstone of mint tea culture in North Africa and the Middle East, a tradition that endures today. European colonists brought mint to the Americas, and by the 19th century it was firmly rooted in American cooking, appearing in everything from Kentucky mint juleps to New England peppermint candies.
How it’s made
Mint is a perennial herb in the Lamiaceae (deadnettle) family and is famously easy — sometimes too easy — to grow. It spreads aggressively by underground runners called rhizomes, so most home gardeners plant it in containers to keep it from taking over a garden bed. It thrives in moist, well-drained soil with partial to full sun and is hardy across most of the US. Commercial mint is grown on a large scale in the Pacific Northwest, Indiana, and Michigan for both fresh herb markets and essential oil extraction. Dried mint is produced by harvesting stems just before flowering, when volatile oil content is highest, then air-drying or using low-heat mechanical driers to preserve color and aroma.
Good to know
- The US is one of the world’s largest producers of peppermint oil, with Oregon and Washington leading domestic output.
- Mint’s cooling sensation doesn’t actually lower your body temperature — menthol simply activates cold-sensitive receptors (TRPM8) in the skin and mucous membranes.
- Ancient Romans used mint to scent and freshen spaces, strewing it on floors and using it in baths and at dining tables.
- There are over 600 named varieties of mint worldwide, though most commercially available types are hybrids of just a handful of species.
- Mint is one of the few herbs that freezes remarkably well — simply chop fresh leaves, pack them into ice cube trays with water, and drop a cube into drinks or sauces all winter long.
