Sage-Tips

Are peppermint and mint the same?

The term “mint” is an umbrella term for the Mentha plant family that includes spearmint, peppermint, orange mint, apple mint, pineapple mint and more. Mint is a perennial and wide-spreading herb. Both spearmint and peppermint have menthol in them but peppermint contains a higher menthol content (40\% versus .

What kind of mint is peppermint?

And though peppermint is perhaps the better known of the two, it’s actually a natural hybrid of spearmint and water mint. This explains why it is so much more potent than its counterpart. Because peppermint is a mix of two types of mint, it contains a higher content of menthol (40\% as opposed to spearmint’s 0.5\%).

Can I replace mint with peppermint?

Summing up. Mint is a popular herb that can be used in drinks and sweet or savory dishes. Whatever your reason for replacing it in a recipe, we suggest substituting fresh mint with dried mint or peppermint extract if you’re trying to mimic the flavor.

Does peppermint smell like mint?

Peppermint contains 40\% menthol while spearmint contains less than 1\% menthol. This means peppermint is going to have a more intense “minty” flavor that spearmint. So if you grab a leaf of your garden mint and taste it, if it has a really strong minty aftertaste, you are dealing with peppermint.

What is Indian mint called?

pudina
The botanical name of ‘pudina’ used in Indian cuisine is Mentha arvensis L. Mentha arvensis is called as ‘field mint’. In Hindi it is known as ‘pudina’.

When a recipe calls for mint is it spearmint or peppermint?

So when a recipe calls for mint, it’s generally spearmint, recognizable for its light-green, spear-shaped leaves and that classic sweet mint flavor. Spearmint is also commonly used to make gum and candy.

What herb is most like mint?

basil
Best substitutes for mint Mint’s closest cousin is basil. Basil has similar refreshing flavors like mint, but it also has a peppery sweetness to it.

Is basil and mint leaves the same?

Mint has a completely different appearance when placed next to a basil plant. Compared to the smooth and sleek look of the sweet basil leaves, the mint leaves look much rougher and textured. They have jagged edges along the leaf edges and also tend to have a fuzzy appearance.

Is chocolate mint a peppermint?

Chocolate mint is a cultivar of peppermint, a cultivar being a strain cultivated specifically for a few desirable characteristics—in the case of chocolate mint, the pretty brown hue of its stems and an aroma that’s been compared to Andes mints (the chocolate-peppermint candy that your grandparents liked to keep in the …

What kind of mint is sweet mint?

Spearmint
“Spearmint is grown on every continent except the poles, so it’s readily available in every cuisine you can imagine,” says Belsinger. With much less menthol than peppermint, spearmint is naturally sweet and refreshing, which is why it finds its way into many fruit dishes and cocktails.