Cuban Peppermint Leaves

Caffeine-free fine-cut Peppermint from Cuba. Cuban peppermint is claimed to possess more peppermint oil per leaf than any other origin.

We purchase two products from Cuba, the first being Cuban Serrano and the second being our pungent and versatile Cuban Peppermint. Peppermint is known as a hybrid mint and is a cross between water mint (mentha aquatica) and spearmint (mentha spitcata) it was 1st described in 1753 by Linnea’s but was wrongly described by him as a species.

As many gardeners will know peppermint is a fast-growing plant which spreads very quickly after it starts sprouting. This means many gardeners cultivate peppermint in regularly watered pots. Peppermint flowers produce large amounts of nectar and honey bees, in particular, find them irresistible. It is possible to get specialist honey that has been made with the majority of peppermint nectar.

Peppermint has a very high menthol content, with the Cuban plants being known for having the highest levels. This menthol content is ideal for making oil which can be used for both pharmaceutical, cosmetic and culinary purposes. Peppermint also contains tiny amounts of compounds including Limonine and Pulegone. The Pulegone is a natural insecticide and we have seen instances where both peppermint plants and citronella have been planted around the borders of coffee estates to naturally reduce the number of insects that may affect the quality of the coffee.

Over history peppermint has been used by cooks and herbalists, was written about the Pliny in 79AD, describing how the Greeks and Romans crowned themselves with and decorated tables with its sprays. Roman and Greek cooks often flavoured their sauces and their wines with peppermint. However adding peppermint leaves to hot water has been a practice that pre-dates this by millennia.

Peppermint tea (also often called mint tea) is naturally caffeine free and very refreshing and cooling hot infusion. Peppermint is widely acknowledged by much of the populace has being a healthy drink, although there have been few clinical trials to back this up. It is said that peppermint settles one’s stomach and is said to reduce the symptoms of bloating.

Two of our favourite uses of mint are, our fantastic Moroccan mint tea and Mojitos. If you want to make your own mint tea (there are many, many ways to do this) follow the following recipe:

• Small tea-pot
• Two heaped teaspoons of Cuban peppermint
• Two heaped teaspoons of Green tea
• Four heaped tea-spoons of white sugar
• Two shot glasses

In a small tea-pot (20fl oz) use two heaped tea-spoons of Cuban peppermint, two heaped tea-spoons Green tea (Gun-powder, Chunmee etc) and 4 heaped teaspoons of white sugar with water that is just off the boil. Serve in a shot glass. Traditionally the tea is served three times, with five minutes between each serving thereby giving a unique flavour with each drink.

This is known by the Maghrebi proverb: The first glass is as gentle as life, the second glass is as strong as love and the third glass is as bitter as death.