Mint was held in such high esteem and value that it was used in tithing. In medieval times, mint was thought to symbolize wisdom and virtue and was a famous monastery nostrum; huge clumps of the round-leafed variety may be found among monastery ruins. The monks also used it to relieve the languor that followed epilepsy and to bring patients out of melancholia. Once used on medieval floors to repel ants, mint has a reputation (especially the pennyroyal species) for keeping ants out of food cupboards. The famous mint sauce so cherished by the British was actually an import from the Romans, who invented it in the 3rd century. There are at least 2,000 varieties of mint currently on record, and at least five types of mint growing wild. With the single exception of sweet basil, which is indigenous to tropical Africa and Asia, all the herb plants in the mint family are natives of the Mediterranean region.
The only native American mint, Mentha canadensis, was once used for its cooling effect on fevers. Spearmint was brought to American shores very early and was growing wild by 1672. Peppermint, on the other hand, was unknown until the end of the 17th century. Cultivated mint is usually peppermint or spearmint. The name "spearmint" came from "Spiremint", referring to the tall spires of its blooms in late summer. To prevent milk from curdling or turning, just add a leaf of mint. It is impossible to make cheese from the milk of a cow that has been eating the herb, because it will not curdle.
From The Food Encyclopedia by Jacques Rolland and Carol Sherman
