Chinese mint
Mentha canadensis

Family: Lamiaceae

What it is like

A herb which keeps growing from year to year. It has rhizomes or underground stems. The above ground stems are erect and 30-60 cm high. They are hairy. There are many branches. The leaf stalk is 2-10 mm long. The leaf blade is oval to sword shaped and 3-5 cm long by 0.8-3 cm wide. They are hairy. The edges have coarse teeth. The flower heads are about 1.8 cm across. The flowers are purplish or white.

There are 25 Mentha species. An ancient hybrid, M. arvensis & M. longifolia

Where it is found

It is a temperate and subtropical plant. In China it grows in wet areas from sea level to 3500 m altitude in all provinces. It grows in Yunnan in China.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Cambodia, Canada, China, Indochina, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, North America, Russia, SE Asia, Slovenia, Thailand, Tibet, Vietnam, USA

How it is used for food

Mint oil is used for flavouring. The leaves are used to flavour tea. The young leaves are eaten fresh or used in stir fried dishes.

It is sold in local markets in China. It is cultivated.

Edible parts

Oil, leaves - flavouring, leaves, leaves - tea

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Angzhi, Bo he, Hung gioi, Kanadska meta, Lao su ba kuo, Qiubi, Sheng bo he, Zha hong leng

Synonyms

Mentha arvensis L. var. canadensis (L.) Maxim.; Mentha arvensis f chinensis Debeaux; Mentha arvensis subsp. haplocalyx (Briquet) Briquet; Mentha arvensis var. haplocalyx (Briquet) Briquet; Mentha haplocalyx Briquet; Mentha pedunculata Hu & Tsai; [Illegitimate]