Description

Mentha × piperita, peppermint, is a sterile hybrid perennial herb of the family Lamiaceae, believed to have first been cultivated in England during the mid-17th century from a natural cross between water mint (Mentha aquatica) and spearmint (Mentha spicata). The dark green, serrated, strongly aromatic leaves carry up to 40% menthol in their essential oil — the highest natural menthol concentration of any commercial mint species. India — particularly Uttar Pradesh — is now the world’s leading producer of menthol-grade peppermint oil, with the Tarai region producing over 90% of India’s commercial mint crop. The dried leaf is incorporated in Ayurvedic and folk medicine formulations for digestive complaints, flatulence, irritable bowel syndrome, nasal congestion, and headache. Peppermint leaf and oil are formally listed in the British Pharmacopoeia, European Pharmacopoeia, and the Commission E monographs. A leading globally traded herbal tea ingredient.