Mint
Quick Notes:
What is Mint?
Mint has over 600 varieties including Spearmint, Peppermint, Apple mint, Pineapple mint, Raripila Spearmint, Round-leaved mint, Lemon mint, and Basil mint.
Spearmint and Peppermint are the most popular mints used for cooking.
Mint has an affinity with basil, cardamom, cilantro and parsley. Some mint varieties are used interchangeably.
Fresh is best. Keep small quantities in plastic bag in the refrigerator and use within a few days. Freeze fresh in ice-cube trays. Keep dried leaves in an airtight container in a cool dark place.
Pictures of Mint:
Pictures of Mint - others:
Mint is Good for These Foods:
Mint is used in various cuisines world-wide.
Mint is used in both sweet and savory dishes. Mint can be found in recipes for beans, candies, carrots, chicken, chocolates, corn, cucumbers, desserts, drinks, fish, fruits, herbal teas, lamb, peas, pork, potatoes, salads, soups, stews, and sweet potatoes.
Used less in savory dishes, Basil mint (fresh) and Peppermint (oil and extract) are found more in sweet recipes including candy, chocolates, cookies, mousses, tarts, hot cocoa, and other drinks such as cordials and liqueurs.
The potent Lemon mint is used primarily in drink recipes.
Spearmint is the mint in jelly served with lamb entrees. Spearmint is the preferred mint in some of the popular teas served in North Africa and the Middle East. Spearmint is good in savory dishes having carrots, peas and potatoes. Fresh spearmint is served up with Kentucky bourbon in mint juleps.
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Spice Trivia
Do you know these fun facts about spices and herbs?
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Cumin is the second most popular spice in the world
By weight, Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world.
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Cilantro and Coriander are from the same plant. Cilantro is the leaf, and coriander is the seed.
There are almost one million seeds in one pound of Poppy Seeds.
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