Mint is a part of the mentha family. It includes several varieties, the most commonly hear ones being peppermint and spearmint Mint has been added to many savory dishes and cool as well as hot beverages since time immortal. Mint adds its unique, refreshing flavor to all delicacies.
Often used as a culinary herb, mint is readily available round the year. It is one of the most loved garnishing herbs and is used extensively in middle eastern cuisines along with a similar usage across all cuisines and places across the globe.
Mint has been known over centuries for its amazing aroma and flavor. But not many know its extensive usage in curing indigestion or upset stomach. It is known to be rich in vitamins, particularly Vitamin A.
Well, a small herb as it might seem, it can help in improving brain function. Well, we all wish to be blessed with great brains.
Common Names of Mint in Different Languages
Here is a list of the most common and even uncommon names which will help you recognize, buy, and eat this healthy herb.
Scientific Name of Mint
The scientific name of Mint is mentha. Mentha belongs to the Lamiaceae family of kingdom Plantae.
Common Names – Around the world
- In Irish, Slovenian, Hmong, Lao, Afrikaans, Hausa, Igbo, Swahili, Yoruba, Zulu, Cebuano, Javanese, Malagasy and Malay Mint is known by its name itself. Well, that makes it easy for the tourists who want to enjoy the refreshing cool flavor of this herb.
- In the Czech language Mint is called máta, and in Slovak, it is addressed as mäta. The two seem synonymous, but the phonics make them differentiated.
- In many languages, mint is also referred to as menta. The common ones being Bosnian, Catalan, Croatian, French, Galician, Hungarian, Italian, Romanian, Spanish, and Latin. Though it is called menthe is Latin but, that again sounds pretty similar to menta.
- A slightly weird sounding name is mynte. In Danish and Norwegian language mint is referred by the name mynte. In Swedish, it gets a little changed to mynta, and it becomes myntu in the Icelandic language.
- In Maltese mint is called zekka while in Russian and Ukrainian it is called мята (myata). The Serbians call it Нана(Nana), and in Uzbek, it is called Yalpiz.
- In the Vietnamese language, it is called cây bạc hà, and in Filipino, it is called gawaan ng kuwaltang metal. The Indonesian call mint as Daun mint.
- In Hindi, we call mint as पुदीना, and in the Portuguese language, it is called hortelã. Hortela makes it sound like horchata, well it is not that though.
- Some funny names like munt, piparmünt, Minze, piparmētra, reexaanta, and miniti in Dutch, Estonian, German, Latvian, Somali, and Maori, respectively.
Common Names – in India
- Mint is called Pudina in the majority of Indian Languages.
- Some states in the southern part of India replace the d sound with t and refer to it as putina.
Conclusion
Well, we hope you get to enjoy the refreshing mint flavor across the world; all that changes is the way you address it. With hope, this list helps you find the most aromatic herb with the utmost ease in all parts of the world. Don’t forget to comment on any other conventional or local names that you use to address this herb.