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Mentha Arvensis – Piperita (Pudina, Field Mint, Corn Mint, Japanese Mint) — Family Name: Lamiaceae
Botanical Name: Mentha Arvensis / Piperita
Common Name: Field Mint, Corn Mint, Japanese Mint, Pudina
Part Used: Whole Plant, Oil
Habitat: Found through out India.
Uses: The entire plant is antibacterial, antifibrile. It yeilds an essential oil and menthol which exert, through their rapid evaporation, aslightly anaesthetic, and anodyne local effect. It is effective in headache, rhinitis, cough sore throat, colic, prurigo and vomiting. Menthol obtained from this is used in balm. It is also used as flavoring agent in culinary preparations.
Introduction
Mentha arvensis (Field Mint, Wild Mint or Corn Mint) is a species of mint with a circumboreal distribution. It is native to the temperate regions of Europe and western and central Asia, east to the Himalaya and eastern Siberia, and North America.
It is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to 10–60 cm (rarely to 100 cm) tall. The leaves are in opposite pairs, simple, 2–6.5 cm long and 1–2 cm broad, hairy, and with a coarsely serrated margin. The flowers are pale purple (occasionally white or pink), in clusters on the stem, each flower 3–4 mm long.
Discription
Mint is grown all over the world. It comes in many varieties such as spearmint, peppermint, pennyroyal, etc, each with distinct flavour. Mint is generally a sweet flavour imparting a cool sensation to the mouth. Peppermint has the highest concentrations of menthol, while pennyroyal is strong with a medicinal flavour.
Mint is refreshing, stimulative, diaphoretic, stomachic, and antispasmodic. It helps in colds, flu, fever, poor digestion, motion sickness, food poisoning, rheumatism, hiccups, stings, ear aches, flatulence and for throat and sinus ailments.
Both fresh and dried mint is used. Mint is used in a variety of dishes such as vegetable curries, mint recipe for chutney, fruit salads, vegetable salads, salad dressings, soups, desserts, juices, sherberts, etc. Peppermint is used to flavour toothpaste, mouth freshners and chewing gum.
