Spearmint is believed to be the oldest of the mints. Spearmint (Mentha spicata) is native to the Mediterranean countries and has been value since ancient times. It has been used for centuries by Egyptian, Greek and Roman physicians.
Greece used it as an aphrodisiac, while Roman used its aroma as an appetite stimulant. Romance also wore mint wreaths on their hair during banquets and decorated their tables with twigs.
Pliny the Roman herbalist recommended using spearmint as a restorative to vitalize the body and aid digestion.
The Romans carried spearmint to what is now England. Everywhere this fragrant herb was introduced people began to cultivate it extensively.
Widely used in Athens, it was rubbed on the arms in particular, probably as a powerful deodorant.
In medieval times it was used for strewing on floors and later to overcome tobacco odors.
History records that’s spearmint was one of the plants brought from England to the Americas by the Pilgrim Fathers.
In the sixteenth century, it became spere mynte, to describe the sphere-shaped flowers that distinguish it from many other mints.
Spearmint in history
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