Mint is widely used in many world cuisines, especially Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, European, Latin American, and Southeast Asian cooking. It adds flavor to both savory and sweet dishes, balancing fatty meats and mellowing sweetness. The most common types used are spearmint and peppermint. Mint combines well with many vegetables, fruits, meats, and is a classic pairing with lamb. It is used fresh or dried in dishes from salads and soups to desserts around the world.

1. Culinary Uses of Mint
Mint is often associated with Middle Eastern cooking
although it is widely used in many cuisines throughout the
world especially in Greek, Mediterranean, European, Latin
American, Moroccan, Indian, Southeast Asian, South
American, and North African cuisine. It is also ubiquitous
in the United States and used in many desserts and
commercial products. Mint gives a bright note to savory
dishes balancing the fatty richness of meats, and helps
mellow the sweetness of desserts. It also helps keep the
breath fresh after a spicy or meal or a dish laden with
garlic and onions.
Mint combines really well with many vegetables and can be chopped and sprinkled raw on
salads, salad dressings, and stews. Tomatoes, potatoes, peas, carrots, zucchini, cucumber,
and eggplant pair well with mint, as well as fruits like avocado, strawberry, and melon. One
of the most popular and classic culinary combinations is roast lamb and mint sauce. The
subtly sweet, cool and refreshing mint jelly heightens the smoky flavor of lamb and gives it
quite a bite and kick.
The most common type of mint used for culinary purposes is spearmint. It grows in most
gardens and is easily available in the market. Peppermint is the second most popular type of
mint used in the kitchen and is often used to add flavor to fruits, garnish desserts, and
making sherbets, ice cream, and cocktails like the famous Mojito.
In the Middle East and the Balkan region, dried mint is sprinkled over rice and hummus and
used in large quantities to flavor yogurt dips, salad dressings, and soup. In the United States,
peppermint leaves add a crisp and cool flavor to candies, gum, cream, and syrup for making
desserts. Roast lamb accompanied by mint jelly is a popular Christmas tradition.
In Mexico, mint is used to flavor a popular soup dish made with meatballs called albondigas.
In Brazil, mint jelly, called geléia de hortelã, is served with meat cutlets or mutton. In
Southern Austria, Carinthian mint, together with other aromatic herbs, cheese, and potatoes
is used to stuff big dumplings known as Kärntner Kasnudeln.
In French haute cuisine, peppermint is used to flavor poached salmon, together with white
wine, vinegar, tarragon, bay leaf, carrots, onions, and salt in the recipe known as saumon à
la Humbertier. In England, mint is largely used in confectionaries, mixed drinks, and sweet
liquors.
In Indian cuisine, fresh mint is added to chutney, which is served as a dip for fried foods like
samosas and pakoras. In Thailand, mint is used along with basil and coriander to flavor
salads and soups. In Vietnam, mint is used to garnish a wide array of dishes and has become
characteristic of Vietnamese cuisine.
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