Mint? Spearming? What is the difference?

@arkaf61 (10881)
Canada
April 30, 2008 7:41pm CST
I think I said in here before that I hate anything with menthol. It's more than hating, I actually have trouble both with the taste and the vapours. I can't have halls cough drops, I have trouble with most toothpastes and mouth washes, etc. etc. etc. I have gum occasionally but I'm always careful to check if it says mint in it, because I know I will be spitting it out in 10 seconds if it does. Specially because most of them are so strong. I avoid anything that has mint in it, even if it's just part of the name. However I found this spearmint ones that I actually like. They're not strong and the taste is actually enjoyable. But I"m confused. What is spearmint? Isn't it related to mint? Is it something different? How come that one I have no problem with? What is it, really ? Sorry for the big display of ignorance, but I'm really confused here.
3 responses
@sedel1027 (17846)
• Cupertino, California
1 May 08
Yes they are related. The plants look almost the same. We have both growing in our garden.
2 people like this
@arkaf61 (10881)
• Canada
1 May 08
AH! so they are almost the same plant but not exactly. ANd I take it spearmint is the least strong of both? So I guess I can actually have spearmint in my garden and enjoy it :):):) Thanks for helping with my confusion. I was really wondering why I had trouble with the taste of one but not the other.
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
1 May 08
Some mint is OK with me, even delicious, but I am with you on the strong ones. Some are just nasty. My favorite is wintergreen, about which I found this rather interesting article: http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/dec99/945895598.Ch.r.html This link tells us more than anybody needs to know about mint, lol, but I like this sort of information and wish to share: http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/dec99/945895598.Ch.r.html
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@arkaf61 (10881)
• Canada
3 May 08
I do have trouble with the strong mint flavour or any menthol flavor or even smell. I am not sure about wintergreen I don't think I have ever tried it. But I do really enjoy the spearmint so much that I needed to know if it was just a completely different thing or just a milder variation of the regular mint.
@GardenGerty (157027)
• United States
1 May 08
Menthol is a chemical substance that either occurs naturally in a certain species of mint from India, or is made synthetically. To a lesser degree, it occurs in peppermint oil. I saw no mention of it in relation to Spearmint. That may be why you can tolerate Spearmint. I like them all. Wrigley's gums, spearmint, and doublemint, as I remember, do not have really strong flavor.
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@arkaf61 (10881)
• Canada
1 May 08
That is a great explanation, my friend, and I can understand it better that way. Thanks :)
1 person likes this