Peppermint Vs Spearmint: What's The Actual Difference?

It might seem like all mint is created equal. After all, when you pick up a package of it at the grocery store, it's almost always labeled as "mint," regardless of the fact that there are actually about 30 different species of the flavorful plant. While chocolate mint and pineapple mint (Yes, they exist) are certainly intriguing, it's peppermint and spearmint that get the most attention in the culinary world. This is because these are typically the two varietals that are sold in stores, plus, they happen to be popular flavors of chewing gum (even though chewing gum sales seem to be on the decline).

Still, peppermint and spearmint have their differences. The two appear almost identical, but upon closer inspection, you'll notice that the underside of spearmint leaves are a little bit fuzzy and the stems are light green. Peppermint stems, on the other hand, have a darker, almost purple color to them. As far as the flavor of these mints go, peppermint has a much more pronounced mint flavor due to the fact that it contains more menthol than spearmint. This gives peppermint a cooler sensation in the mouth, as well. Spearmint has .5% menthol (compared to peppermint's whopping 40%), lending a milder tastes that's even a little sweet. While you can certainly use these two mints interchangeably, they are each best utilized in specific dishes.

With its sharp, strong, and pronounced minty flavor, peppermint can stand up against equally punchy flavors like dark chocolate (think peppermint patties) and citrus. Since peppermint is considered to be a holiday flavor, you'll find lots of seasonal chocolate-peppermint combinations; peppermint hot chocolate, brownies, cakes, cookies, and layered desserts — plus peppermint frostings and candies (Hello, candy canes). For a soothing tea, peppermint is arguably better than spearmint because of its bolder flavor and higher menthol content for comforting an upset stomach.

Because of its mildness (compared to peppermint), spearmint is a very versatile herb. It is excellent in savory dishes and shines in cuisines like Indian, Asian, and Middle Eastern, among others that incorporate lots of mint. If you like mint sauce or jelly with roasted or grilled lamb, spearmint will give you delicious results. Likewise, this is the mint you'll want to use in your drinks and cocktails, like iced tea, mojitos (Try a spin on the mojito with chocolate rum), mint juleps, and Moscow mules. Spearmint compliments tropical flavors and blends well into a fruit salad, and is also a good choice for mixing into mint ice cream.