Asian mint, Jia bo he
Mentha longifolia var. asiatica
Family: Lamiaceae
What it is like
A herb. It has underground stems or rhizomes. The above ground stems are erect. They are 50-120 cm high. There are few branches. They are densely hairy. The leaf stalk is 0.1-0.5 mm long. The leaf blade is oblong or sword shaped and 3-8 cm long by 1-2.5 cm wide. The leaf blade can be folded and curved downwards. The flowers are in spikes 3-8 cm long. The flowers are purple-red.
There are 25 Mentha species.
Where it is found
In China it grows on river banks and waste places which are wet. It grows from sea level to 3100 m in north China.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, Central Asia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkemistan, Uzbekistan
How it is used for food
The leaves are used as seasoning and also added to sour milk.
Edible parts
Leaves
How it is grown
Its other names
Local names
Pudina, Zubuda