Uses
Spearmint is prized for its sweet, refreshing flavor and is widely used in culinary applications worldwide. It’s commonly used to flavor herbal teas, cocktails (especially mojitos), and Middle Eastern dishes. Fresh spearmint leaves are excellent in salads, fruit dishes, and as garnishes. The aromatic oil, called oil of spearmint, is used as a flavoring in candies, chewing gum, toothpaste, and sometimes as a scent in cosmetics. Spearmint is also popular in traditional medicine and aromatherapy for its cooling and soothing properties. Unlike peppermint, spearmint has a milder, sweeter flavor profile.
Origin
Spearmint (Mentha spicata), also known as garden mint, common mint, or lamb mint, is native to Europe and southern temperate Asia, extending from Ireland in the west to southern China in the east. The name “spear” mint derives from the pointed leaf tips that characterize this plant. It has been naturalized in many temperate parts of the world, including northern and southern Africa, North America, and South America. First described scientifically by Carl Linnaeus in 1753, spearmint is an allopolyploid species that likely resulted from hybridization between Mentha longifolia and Mentha suaveolens.