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Mint
Mentha piperita (peppermint),
Mentha spicata (spearmint)
Minthe, who gave her name to
this genus of plants, was nymph who was pursued by Pluto,
Greek god of the Underworld. In a fit of rage his wife, Persephone,
turned Minthe into a plant, to be trodden underfoot. As a tribute to
the nymph, Greek virgins would wear sprigs of mint in their hair on
feast days.
Peppermint was used by the
ancient Egyptians and the Romans used it for its aesthetic and
culinary properties. Pliny wrote about mint
in his Natural History (AD77), “As touching garden mint, as
the very smell of it alone recovereth and refresheth the spirits; so
the tast stirreth up the appetite to meat, which is the cause, that
it is so ordinarie in our sharpe (vinegared) sauces wherein we use to
dip our meats.” In fact, he found the smell of mint
so exhilarating that he recommended a wreath of mint
for students, to sharpen the mind. He also extolled its virtues in
drying up “the humours that mollifie the grisly windpipe..”
and recommended the use of mint juice before any strenuous use of
the voice.
In folk legend and country magic, mint
was associated with Venus and Mars and was used to invoke protection
during travel and exorcism and to attract money, love and healing.
One country superstition was to place a few leaves of mint with the
family savings in order to make it grow.
Peppermint was also used to
aid sleep, in purification and to strengthen psychic powers - placing mint
on an altar would draw good influences upon rituals and a sprig,
placed beneath a pillow, would enable you to see the future in your dreams.
Ayurveda lists peppermint as
a pungent taste, strengthening Vata (nervous system) and Pitta
(biochemical body processes), reducing Kapha (body fluid
balance). A digestive, cleansing and stimulating.
Although not used formally in medicine until around
the mid-18th century, peppermint, usually in the form of a tea, has
been one of the favourite homecures for indigestion since Biblical
times, and its anti-spasmodic quality has led to its use to combat
menstrual cramps and stomach upsets.
Herbalists recommend using it internally for
digestion, colds, flu and stomach cramps and externally, as a
stimulating rub for aching muscles, in footbaths for tired feet and
as an inhaler for catarrh and nasal congestion. Although, always with
the rider that pregnant women should avoid using the essential oil.
It has also been used as a form of local anaesthetic:
the action of the essential oil, menthol, raises the threshold
temperature at which the cold receptors in the skin begin to
dishcharge. However, because of the same reaction, like mustard, it
can also be a skin irritant.
Spearmint, its specific name
referring to the spear-like shape of its leaves, became a firm
favourite in kitchen gardens after it introduction by the Romans. A
milder flavour than peppermint and similar, if slightly weaker,
medicinal properties.
100g fresh mint provides 39.60
kcalories, 4.70g carbohydrate, 11mg sodium, 3.40g protein, 2425iu of
vitamin A, 124.40mg vitamin C and 3.5mg iron. |