| Latin Name | Mentha piperita, Mentha balsamea |
| English Name : | Peppermint |
| French Name : | Menthe poivrée |
| Family : | Lamiaceae |
| Origin : | Canada, United-States, France, Hungary, India |
History and Origin
Originally the product of a natural hybridization between Mentha aquatica and Mentha spicata, peppermint is today a widely cultivated plant. Indigenous in Europe, it is now commonly found all around the globe as an adventitious plant. It likes humid and well-drained soils. In Egypt, some peppermint traces were found, dating back to as far as 1 000 years before J.-C. In Native medicinal tradition, it is used as analgesic (against colic, cramps and headaches), antiemetic, carminative, antipyretic and gastrointestinal tonic, as well as a remedy against flu and hemorrhoids and as a urinary disinfectant. Mitchum peppermint, very popular around the world, has its roots in Saint-Lawrence River Valley, in Québec.