All Things Mint

Mint Ingredients and Mint Flavors for Baking, Cooking, and Beverages

Looking for mint ingredients to flavor a recipe? With so many different varieties available, it can be hard to choose the right one. Known for its fresh, "cool" taste that includes both fruity and sweet notes, mint is an aromatic herb that grows wild around the world. The distinctive flavor, aroma, and cooling sensation of plants in the mint family come from the aromatic compound menthol. Different varieties of mint (Mentha) plants contain differing amounts of menthol which contributes to their similar-but-not-the-same flavor profiles. Alone, or in combination with other ingredients (Hello, mint chocolate anything!), mint is immensely popular in flavoring both sweet and savory recipes around the world.

What are the most common types of mint used in cooking?

• Mint: Most people are surprised when they learn that there are hundreds of distinct varieties of mint (genus: Mentha) grown around the world.
• Peppermint: Peppermint has the highest amount of menthol of any of the mint plants, giving it the distinctively "cool" taste we know and love in candy, frostings, and fillings.
• Spearmint: Spearmint has less menthol than peppermint, allowing its natural sweetness to provide balance with its coolness. Ideal for use in sweet or savory recipes, spearmint's delicious flavor is a key element in everything from mint juleps to mint jelly for lamb dishes to mint chocolate ice creams.
• Pineapple Mint: The pineapple mint plant is used more for its fuzzy leaves and decorative look as a garnish than in cooking. When used in cooking or in beverages, it has a sweet pineapple-like flavor and light minty aroma.
• Apple Mint: Apple mint plants are prized by gardeners who make their own mint jelly, as the flavor of this mint is rich and fruity as well as minty. The slightly furred leaves are why this variety is also known as "wooly" mint.
• Chocolate Mint: Chocolate mint was developed from peppermint plants for its distinctive look with dark brown stems, and its rich, deep fruity aroma with chocolate notes. When bruised, the leaves smell similar to an after-dinner mint!

Honorable mentions for popular minty-tasting flavors that are not actually members of the mint family go to:

• Wintergreen: Wintergreen flavor is generally described as "minty," but has a sweeter, warmer and more subtle taste and aroma than mint. It's frequently used to flavor candies, ice cream, and teas. It's also well known as the flavoring used for a certain iconic bright pink stomach remedy. Wintergreen, commonly known as teaberry, is also an herb, but from a different family of plants than mint.
• Eucalyptus: The taste and aroma of eucalyptus are sometimes described as minty, but really the comparison is to menthol, the compound that makes mint taste "cool." Eucalyptus leaves contain terpenes, some of which are chemically similar to menthol, that create its pungent, almost citrus-like, woodsy aroma that is often used in medicinal products.
• Crème de Menthe: Creme de menthe is a sweet, mint-flavored, green liqueur famous for its use in cocktails such as Grasshoppers and Stingers. It is frequently used for coloring and flavoring in chocolates or confectionery fillings.

Mint flavorings are some of the most popular worldwide for both sweet and savory recipes. The combination of bright, cold, sweet, and warm options make this flavor family a perfect choice for a huge variety of dishes. Peppermint is widely associated with wintertime and holiday candy, but is also famous for use in confections and baked goods made with dark chocolate. The sweeter, milder taste of spearmint, on the other hand, is not only used in baking and desserts, but is also a staple in many savory dishes. Lamb dishes, spiced meats, seasoned vegetable dishes, soups, and curries are all brightened by the addition of mint flavor and aroma.

In addition to bakery and cooking, mint is a popular flavor for use in beverages, from mint mochas and hot cocoa-based drinks to chocolate mint beers, porters, wines, and liqueurs. The cool, bright flavor of peppermint is a classic in schnapps, while the sweet taste of spearmint can add depth to creamy drinks. Mint flavored milkshakes, protein drinks, and nutritional beverages, as well as cocktails, can either bring this cool, light flavor to the forefront, or use it to brighten complex flavor profiles.

FAQs about Mint Extracts, Flavorings & Ingredients

What Flavor is Mint?

Mint is the overarching term for flavors from plants in the Mentha family. When something is called mint flavor, chances are good that you're actually tasting either spearmint or peppermint. Most mint flavoring sold in grocery stores is spearmint. The distinguishing element of mint flavors is the sensation of coolness provided by the naturally-occurring menthol in the plants. Mint has a generally light, bright flavor with an undertone of sweetness.

What is the Difference Between Spearmint and Peppermint?

Spearmint offers milder and less chilly taste and aroma than peppermint, due to peppermint's much higher concentration of menthol. Spearmint's sweeter and lighter taste makes it an excellent all-around flavoring, and allows it to pair well with savory flavors. Peppermint's stronger, sharper taste and aroma are great when used with other strong flavors, making it the mint of choice for use with dark chocolate, citrus, and other bold tastes.

What is the Difference Between Peppermint Extract and Oil?

Peppermint oil comes from the leaves of the peppermint plant. This pure, essential oil is very, very strong and is generally four times the strength of an extract. Peppermint extract is peppermint oil that has been extracted into a base, usually alcohol, and diluted with water to reduce its intensity and make it better for flavoring foods while retaining flavor and aroma.