A mint or breath mint is a food item often consumed as an after-meal refreshment or before business and social engagements to improve breath odor. Mints are commonly believed to soothe the stomach given their association with natural byproducts of the plant genus Mentha. Mints sometimes contain derivatives from plants such as peppermint oil or spearmint oil, or wintergreen from the plant genus Gaultheria. However, many of the most popular mints citing these natural sources contain none in their ingredient list or contain only trace amounts.
Scotch mints
Package for mints from early 20th century, Mexico from the permanent collection of the Museo del Objeto del Objeto.
Butter mints
Bêtise (French for "blunder") is a mint-flavored candy made in Cambrai, France.
Mentha is a genus of plants in the family Lamiaceae. The exact distinction between species is unclear; it is estimated that 13 to 24 species exist. Hybridization occurs naturally where some species' ranges overlap. Many hybrids and cultivars are known.
Image: Mentha spicata IMG 6186
Image: Mentha piperita Flickr aspidoscelis (1)
Flowering verticillasters of a spearmint.
The Mentha × piperita hybrid known as "chocolate mint"
