Magnificently Mint the Ever Incredible Herb You Forgot
Mint can surprise you; you may be in the garden and suddenly detect its sharp aroma. You may grow mint in your garden or buy it when a recipe calls for it. You may even have it growing wild in your yard. However you get mint, this is an herb, which can add an unexpected, yet welcome flavor to many dishes – and it is healthy too!
Mint does grow wild in many places; in fact, it is even considered in invasive weed by some. If you are growing it yourself, be careful where you plant it. Mint can crowd out other plants quite easily if you let it.
Mint prefers cool, shady areas with ample moisture, but can do well in full sun as well. Just one mint plant is probably enough to provide your entire household with mint – these plants are hardy and grow incredibly quick.
Mont leaves can be used either fresh or dried for culinary purposes and is used in many cuisines the world over. Fresh leaves provide the most pronounced flavor, lending a cool sensation and slight sweetness as an aftertaste.
Mint can be used to add a certain amount of savor to meat dishes, and in the Middle East, mint is often used in conjunction with lamb dishes, a habit that spread to the United Kingdom, where mint sauce and mint jelly is often served with lamb dishes.
Mint is also quite popular when it comes to Asian cuisines. Mint is offered in whole leaf form as a side dish to many different soups and noodle dishes, and the leaves can be strewn on top of a good spicy soup. You will find that the mint leaves lend crispness to soups that would otherwise be overly sweet, and they can similarly be used to add a bit of freshness to curries.
Whether you grow mint in your garden, have a small plant in a kitchen window box, or buy it from your local produce market, you will find it to be a useful and versatile herb, which can be used in a whole variety of dishes. Just think of all of the possibilities of this herb to liven up your favorite dishes.
Of course, mint can be used in desserts as well as entrees. There are many varieties of mint available at farmer’s markets and produce stores; try a little fresh chopped chocolate mint in a chocolate jell-o mousse for a light and refreshing dessert. A sprig of mint is also just the thing to enliven lemon jell-o. You can use mint as a garnish as well as an ingredient in many recipes.
In addition, on a hot day, there is nothing to compete with a tall glass of iced tea with a sprig of fresh mint added. Release its assertive flavor and cool scent with a light rub of the leaves between your fingers. Mint can add just the right touch to a number of different foods – pick some up today and start trying out some new recipes with this exciting herb!