Spearmint is a plant native to Europe and Asia, also known as Mentha spicata, with culinary uses in teas, jellies, toothpaste, and gum. It is also used as an herbal remedy for upset stomachs and to delay facial hair growth in women.
Spearmint is a mint plant also known by the scientific name Mentha spicata. It gets its unusual spear name from the plant’s pointed tips which might, in some imaginations, resemble the tip of a spear. This form of mint has certainly acquired other names over the years, including Bethlehem sage, Menthe de Notre Dame and lamb mint.
The first two names certainly represent the vast area where spearmint is grown and the plant is considered native to Europe and Asia. It also spread widely in the United States, where it may have been brought to the shores of the New World intentionally or by accident by pilgrims. While some people grow spearmint on purpose, others view it as a nuisance plant that spreads quickly and can easily take over other plants. It is a perennial plant, so in many soil environments it will return every year, which can either delight or annoy gardeners.
In terms of size, spearmint is generally about 12 inches (30.48 cm), but untended plants have reached 101.6 cm in height. Each stem of the plant is covered in leaves approximately 5.08 cm long, with the well-known narrowing of the tip of each leaf. In midsummer in the Western Hemisphere, mint has small flowers and it is usually thought that mint, especially when used for food, is best harvested before it flowers.
There are many culinary uses of spearmint. It can flavor some beverages and can be especially popular in herbal teas or black teas. The plant can be cooked in mint jelly as a garnish for things like lamb, hence the name lamb mint. It’s also a favorite flavoring in things like toothpaste or gum. In taste, some find this mint more intense than other mint flavours; it’s notably much sharper than mints like peppermint, which can be ideal for certain foods or flavors and overwhelming for others.
There are numerous ways the plant has been used as an herbal remedy. Most of these remedies are largely untested, but on the other hand, spearmint is thought to be a mild herb that very few people need to avoid. In ancient medical tradition and in current herbal catalogues, spearmint is generally thought of most as an herb that can soothe an upset stomach. It should be particularly effective in helping resolve gaseous conditions. Old medicinal recommendations for mint suggest placing it in a glass of milk to aid in digestion.
An interesting current tip on the use of spearmint is that it can delay the growth of hair on the face of women. While this use hasn’t been proven, it might be worth a try, as mint is cheap and clearly less painful than squeezing or waxing. Mint could also be used as an essential oil or in aromatherapy where its smell is thought to be refreshing and mental cleansing.
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