“Hierbabuena” and ” menta” have slightly different meanings in Spain, but both are generally translated in English as “mint.” So what is the difference?
When visiting Granada, you will find peppermint (pronounced ‘YER-ba BWEN-ah’) offered in a couple of different drinks. All Moroccan-style tea houses offer green tea as you would in North Africa, very sweet with lots of mint, while many restaurants and bars offer lemongrass with mint, which is a refreshing mixture of lemon juice, sugar, mint , and water .
«It’s not mint, it’s mint» (it’s not mint, it’s mint «) a Spaniard will tell you when you say» Ooh, fresh mint in my mojito «. But if you ask a Spaniard what the difference is, you never get an exact answer.
So what is peppermint and how is it different from mint, the Spanish word for mint? And how do they correspond to the English words ‘mint’, ‘spearmint’ and ‘mint’?
The short answer is that peppermint is peppermint in most cases. This is the same mint that you find in your grocery store, and it is the go-to mint for most culinary uses.
Peppermint and Mint: the Translations Dictionary
The popular translation website wordreference.com translates peppermint as mint. Peppermint is also translated as mint. It also indicates that each is a feminine noun (feminine noun).
Mint facts
The botanical name for spearmint is Mentha spicata, and it is also called garden mint, lamb mint, and mackerel mint. It is native to much of Europe and Asia and naturalized almost everywhere else, including the United States, where thousands of acres are harvested each year. It is used in tea, salads, as a garnish or in potpourri.
Another type of peppermint, Mentha pulegium, is commonly called pennyroyal. Definitely not to be confused with spearmint. This plant can cause abortions if eaten, along with intestinal cramps, nausea, vomiting, fever, confusion, delirium, and hallucinations. In other words, it is toxic.
How to make peppermint mojitos
Several legends surround the creation of the mojito, and it is not known exactly when it was born, but its place of birth was in Havana is not in dispute, nor is the inclusion of mint.
The evidence points to the conclusion that the mint that the Spanish call peppermint found in mojitos and Moroccan-style tea in Spain is peppermint. The most common mint bought outside of Spain tends to be spearmint. So whether the Spanish call it “mint” or “spearmint,” it’s still spearmint.
If you want to make authentic mojitos, you will need a lot of mint. You can grow your own (it’s easy and makes your garden fragrant) or you can buy it from the store. But whether you grow it or buy it, it must be fresh. The juice of a fresh lime and some top-notch light rum, sugar, and soda mixed with lots of mint make an authentic mojito just like the originals from Cuba. Be sure to “mix” or crush the ingredients to dissolve the sugar and get the most out of your mint.
