Mint: The Essence of Freshness – Keep Your Digestive Tract in Mint Condition

“Mint” is a name like “Smith”—very common. There’s field mint, forest mint, marsh mint, and mountain mint; Egyptian mint, Vietnamese mint, and Corsican mint; curly mint, thorn mint, and slender mint. And, of course, there are the famous twins, spearmint and peppermint. In all, about 600 plants answer to the name “mint.” (There’s even a Smith’s mint.) And thousands of products contain it.

Mint is one of the most popular and recognizable flavors in the world. It’s an ingredient in (among other things) soft drinks, candies, cocktails and liqueurs, jellies, syrups, cakes, ice teas, and ice creams. However, the mint that flavors these tasty treats is one mint: Peppermint. The sweet mint.

When you go to the grocery store to buy a jar of mint for recipes that call for the spice, you also are buying one mint: Spearmint. The savory mint.

But sweet or savory, refreshing mint is a potent healer. Starting with your digestive tract.

Keep Your Digestive Tract in Mint Condition

Studies show peppermint can help ease the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a digestive problem that strikes an estimated one out of every seven Americans, many of them women. Medical scientists call IBS a “functional” health problem—they can’t find any structural abnormality in the bowel, but they do know that it’s not functioning normally, as intestinal muscles contract slower or faster than normal. The result: a range of symptoms that can include abdominal pain, cramping, and bloating; excess gas; diarrhea and constipation (sometimes one, and sometimes both, alternating).

Peppermint relaxes the muscles of the GI tract, helping to normalize those contractions and ease symptoms.

In a study by Italian researchers, 54 people with IBS took enteric-coated peppermint oil for four weeks. (The coating ensures the pill dissolves in the intestines rather than the stomach.) At the start and end of the study, the researchers measured the severity of abdominal bloating, abdominal pain or discomfort, diarrhea, constipation, feeling of incomplete evacuation, pain at defecation, passing of gas or mucus, and urgency of defecation. Seventy-five percent of people taking the remedy had at least a 50 percent reduction in symptoms.

In another study, 110 people with IBS were divided into two groups: one group took a placebo, and one group took an enteric-coated peppermint oil capsule 15 to 30 minutes before each meal. Of those taking peppermint, 79 percent reported relief from abdominal pain and discomfort, and 29 were pain-free. Bloating was reduced in 83 percent. Flatulence was eased in 79 percent. And 83 percent reported having to take fewer trips to the bathroom. There was little improvement in the placebo group.

Researchers in Canada found that peppermint oil can help clear up bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine, a suspected cause of IBS. “The results in this case suggest one of the mechanisms by which enteric-coated peppermint oil improves IBS symptoms,” they concluded in Alternative Medicine Review.

And when researchers in the Gastroenterology Division of McMaster University in Canada evaluated 38 studies on treatments for IBS, they found three treatments were effective: more fiber in the diet, anti-spasmodic drugs—and peppermint oil.

But IBS isn’t the only digestive problem that mint can help solve.

Indigestion. Researchers in the UK evaluated 17 studies using a natural remedy combining peppermint and caraway oil, and found it effectively reduced stomachache and other post-meal digestive symptoms 60 to 95 percent of the time.

A study of 96 people in Germany found that a peppermint-containing remedy offered significant relief from what doctors call “dyspepsia” (and you call indigestion). After four weeks of use, there was a 40 percent reduction in symptoms.

Colonoscopy. Japanese researchers found that using peppermint oil during a colonoscopy reduced GI spasms in 86 percent of 409 people, with “no adverse affects”—making it a “convenient alternative” to anti-spasmodic drugs that “sometimes cause side effects.”

Upper endoscopy. During this medical test, a tube is inserted into the esophagus, stomach, and small intestine. The same team of Japanese researchers found that peppermint oil had “superior efficacy” compared to an anti-spasmodic drug in easing the procedure. Peppermint also produced “no significant side effects,” whereas the drug produced dry mouth, blurred vision, and urinary retention.

Mint may help prevent and/or treat:

Allergies

Anxiety

Breastfeeding

problems

Cancer

Chronic obstructive

pulmonary disease (COPD)

Cough

Fatigue, mental

Gum disease (gingivitis)

Hirsutism (unwanted hair growth in women)

Indigestion

Irritable bowel

syndrome

Menopause problems

Menstrual cramps

Nasal congestion

Nausea, postoperative

Polycystic ovarian

syndrome (PCOS)

Postherpetic neuralgia

Stress

Tooth decay

Caution: Peppermint isn’t perfect for all digestive problems. Some medical experts urge caution for those with heartburn, hiatal hernia, and kidney stones, because peppermint’s ability to relax the GI tract might make those problems worse.

Breathing Easier

Peppermint is rich in the compound menthol—the rush of coolness you feel from peppermint-containing foods, beverages, and self-care products is menthol stimulating coldness receptors in the mucous membranes or the skin.

In a study by Germany researchers investigating how menthol works to ease nasal congestion, they reached the same conclusion as enthusiastic buyers of mentholated lozenges: it produces “the subjective feeling of a clear and wide nose.”

Researchers in Wales agree. They studied 62 people with a cold, dividing them into two groups: half received a lozenge containing 11 milligrams (mg) of menthol and half a placebo lozenge. There was a “significant change” in “nasal sensation of airflow” in those sucking on menthol.

In the UK, researchers asked 20 people to repeatedly inhale a substance that would make them cough. Five minutes before each “cough challenge,” the people inhaled either menthol, a pine scent, or air. Only “menthol inhalation caused a reduction in cough,” wrote the researchers in the medical journal Thorax.

And when Japanese researchers impaired the breathing of 11 people, they found that breathing menthol produced a “significant reduction in sensations of respiratory discomfort.”

Minting More Relief

There are many other ways that peppermint and spearmint can refresh your health.

Postherpetic neuralgia. As mentioned a moment ago, menthol triggers cold-sensitive receptors in cells, producing a cooling sensation so intense that the compound is an ingredient in pain-relieving topical products such as Icy Hot and Bengay. Well, that rush of cold sensation is also why menthol might work in relieving the intense pain of postherpetic neuralgia—nerve pain after a bout of shingles, a blistering viral rash that typically afflicts people in middle and old age.

In a report in the Clinical Journal of Pain, researchers at the Pain Management Center of University College found that applying peppermint oil containing 10 percent menthol “resulted in an almost immediate improvement of pain” in a patient with postherpetic neuralgia, with the relief lasting four to six hours.

Work performance. Menthol also seems to refresh the mind. Researchers at Wheeling Jesuit University in the US found that sniffing peppermint oil improved performance on two clerical tasks: typing (speed and accuracy) and alphabetical filing. “Peppermint oil may promote a general arousal of attention” so people “stay focused on their task and increase performance,” concluded the researchers in the journal Perceptual and Motor Skills.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCPCOS). This condition of abnormally high testosterone levels afflicts one out of 10 American women. One feature of the syndrome is unwanted facial and body hair (hirsutism). Researchers in the UK found that drinking spearmint tea twice a day for one month reduced abnormally high levels of testosterone in women with PCOS. “Spearmint has the potential for use as a helpful and natural treatment for hirsutism in PCOS,” they concluded in Phytotherapy Research.

Mint pairs well with these spices:

Allspice

Basil

Cardamom

Chile

Cinnamon

Coriander

Cumin

Fennel seed

Lemongrass

Onion

Rosemary

Sage

Sesame seed

Thyme

and complements recipes featuring:

Chutney

Crabmeat

Cranberries

Curries

Lamb

Mango

Papaya

Peas

Yogurt

___________________________________

Other recipes containing mint:

Chaat Masala

Dukkah

Roasted Tomato Soup with Fennel and Mint

Shellfish in Saffron Broth

Stress and anxiety. Korean researchers found that nursing students who inhaled peppermint and other essential oils had less stress and anxiety. Inhalation of peppermint and the other essential oils “could be a very effective stress management method,” concluded the researchers.

Postoperative nausea. US researchers studied 33 surgery patients and found that inhaling peppermint oil decreased postoperative nausea (a common problem) by 29 percent.

Breastfeeding. “Nipple pain and damage in breastfeeding mothers are common causes of premature breastfeeding cessation,” noted a team of researchers, writing in the International Journal of Breastfeeding. They studied 196 breastfeeding women, and found that those who used a topical treatment of peppermint water on their nipples were three times less likely to develop a cracked nipple and five times less likely to suffer from nipple pain.

Tuberculosis. Russian researchers found that adding peppermint oil to combined multidrug therapy for tuberculosis helped kill bacteria and improve symptoms. “This procedure may be used to prevent recurrences and exacerbations of pulmonary tuberculosis,” they concluded.

Chemotherapy-induced hot flashes. In a study by researchers in the UK, some women found a spray containing peppermint oil “extremely helpful” in lessening hot flashes induced by treatment for breast cancer.

Cancer. There are dozens of test tube and animal studies showing mint can battle cancer. Peppermint, spearmint, and compounds in them have been effective in slowing, stopping, or killing lung, prostate, liver, skin, stomach, bladder, brain, oral, and blood cancers.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A combination of emphysema and chronic bronchitis, this lung disease is the fourth leading cause of death in the US. Researchers in China found that spearmint oil decreased inflammation in the lungs of rats with experimentally induced COPD.

There are about 600 plants in the mint family.

Cavities and gum disease. Researchers in the Middle East found that peppermint oil killed the bacteria that cause tooth decay and helped stopped plaque buildup.

MINT IS A COMMON FLAVORING IN TOOTHPASTES AND MOUTHWASHS.

Hay fever. In the laboratory, researchers in Japan found that mint extracts stop the release of histamine, the chemical that causes allergic symptoms such as watery eyes, itching, and nasal congestion. “These results suggest that extracts [of mint] may be clinically effective in alleviating the nasal symptoms of allergic rhinitis [hayfever],” concluded the researchers.

Getting to Know Mint

Spearmint and peppermint have been used as an ingredient in toiletries and cosmetics for centuries, and today they’re a common flavoring in toothpaste and mouthwash. But mint didn’t flavor food until the 17th century.

The English were the first to eat mint and they’re still big fans—no English cook would serve lamb without the traditional mint sauce. Americans also favor mint with lamb, preferring mint jelly.

Countries in the eastern Mediterranean (Greece, Turkey, and the Mediterranean countries of the Middle East) and Southeast Asia use a lot of mint, as does India—fresh or dried, in sweet and savory dishes. (And, of course, in tea: black tea brewed with spearmint is a favored beverage in the Middle East and Africa.)

Grilled Lamb Patty Pockets with Cucumber Mint Sauce

This Middle-Eastern dish, perfect for a picnic, gives a spicy twist on the traditional cucumber mint sauce called tzatziki.

For the sauce:

1 cup plain yogurt

1 cup peeled and seeded cucumber, coarsely chopped

¼ cup fresh mint, tightly packed

1 tablespoon lime juice

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon sweet paprika

¼ teaspoon chili powder

¼ teaspoon sugar

Freshly ground white pepper to taste

For the patties:

1 pound lean ground lamb

½ cup fresh breadcrumbs

½ cup diced onions

1 large egg, beaten lightly

1 large garlic clove, minced

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 tablespoon dried mint leaves, crumbled

1 teaspoon ground allspice

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ cup white sesame seeds, toasted

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

4 large pita breads

Toppings:

1 green bell pepper, sliced

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup pepperoncini peppers, sliced

1. To make the sauce: Place the yogurt in a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl and let it drain for about five minutes. Discard any liquid that drains from the yogurt.

2. Combine the cucumber, mint, lime juice, salt, cumin, paprika, chili powder, sugar, pepper, and drained yogurt in a food processor and blend until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.

3. To make the lamb patties: Combine the ground lamb, breadcrumbs, onions, egg, garlic, olive oil, mint, allspice, cinnamon, sesame seeds, salt, and pepper and mix well.

4. Wet your hands and form into eight patties. Spray the grate of a grill with non-stick spray and heat to high. Grill the patties for two minutes on each side or until desired doneness. Place two patties on a pita, ladle with the sauce, and serve with the toppings.

Makes 4 servings.

In India, mint raita, made with cucumber and yogurt, is a popular condiment; it’s a cooling contrast with hot curries. Mint is a key spice in the Indian meatballs known as kofta, and in the spice mix chaat masala. Spearmint is ground with coconut, chiles, onion, and green mango for chutney. It is also added to spicy rice dishes called biryanis.

In North Africa, mint is always around when harissa, one of the world’s hottest condiments, is served. It is a popular spice in Moroccan stews called tagines, and in stuffed vine leaves, a Middle Eastern specialty popular in the US. It is an ingredient in the Egyptian spice mix dukkah. It is also an important spice in Iranian and Turkish cuisines. Mint is the spice that defines the popular Greek yogurt and cucumber sauce called tzatziki.

In Malaysia, mint is combined with turmeric, galangal, lemongrass, and shrimp paste to flavor spicy noodle broths called laksas. Mint is in Thai green curry paste. It’s used in Asian stir-fries.

Mint is also one of a bartender’s best friends. There are about five dozen drinks in the bartender’s repertoire that include mint leaves or mint-flavored alcohol, such as the liqueur crème de menthe, used to make stingers and grasshoppers. The most popular mint cocktail these days is a mojito, which includes citrus juice and tequila. And, of course, there is the German favorite peppermint Schnapps. On the first Saturday in May, when Churchill Downs hosts the Kentucky Derby, 1,000 pounds of fresh mint are mulled to make Mint Juleps, the classic derby drink, made with bourbon, simple syrup, bitters—and lots of mint.

How to Buy Mint

As already mentioned, the generic mint you get from the grocer is dried spearmint, but you can get dried peppermint from specialty spice shops or online. (You’ll find a list of spice retailers in the “Buyer’s Guide”.)

Dried mint (spearmint) is sometimes referred to as rubbed mint, because the leaves break into tiny pieces when the dried leaves are rubbed off the stems. It darkens when dried, becoming almost black. But the color doesn’t affect quality or freshness.

For freshness, check the aroma. Spearmint should smell warm and slightly pungent; peppermint, cool and slightly peppery.

In the Kitchen with Mint

Unless you’re into making specialty cakes and confections, there is little use for peppermint in the kitchen other than making tea. There are, however, many uses for spearmint.

Mint is a dominant flavor. For this reason, many cooks think mint doesn’t marry well with other spices. But chefs adept at Indian and Asian cuisine blend it with other strong spices with success.

Here are ideas to put more mint in your diet:

• Break mint sprigs in small pieces and freeze them with water in ice cube trays. Use the ice in iced tea, lemonade, and tonics.

• Sprinkle mint in butter spread for corn on the cob.

• Grind fresh or dried mint with a pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle and add it to olive oil and vinegar dressing.

• Add mint to cream-based soups and sauces.

• Add mint to pea soup and dishes featuring peas.

• Add mint to cold cucumber soup.

• Substitute mint for basil in a mint pesto.

• Make an untraditional chimichurri sauce by substituting mint for the parsley.

• For a change of taste, use mint instead of oregano or marjoram in eggplant and tomato dishes.

Cardamom: The Stomach Sentinel – For Cardiac Ills and Digestive Relief

As old as civilization itself, cardamom always has been and still is one of the world’s most expensive spices. During the end of the Middle Ages, in the late 16th century, when the price of all spices was sky high, cardamom was among the costliest. A handful of cardamom pods cost the equivalent of a poor man’s yearly salary—and prosperous Europeans paid it gladly, because of cardamom’s special medicinal and culinary value. No wonder it’s known as the “Queen of Spices.” (Pepper is King.)

Cardamom’s delicately pleasant, one-of-a-kind aroma and flavor is derived from its rich and varied content of more than 25 volatile oils, plant compounds that impart fragrance. And the most medicinally active of the oils is the antioxidant cineole (which is also found in bay leaf).

In the traditional medicines of the East, cardamom has been used to treat an impressive variety of health problems, including heart disease, respiratory ailments such as asthma, bronchitis, colds, and flu, and all forms of digestive problems, from bad breath and colic to constipation and diarrhea.

After centuries of use in traditional medicine, the 20th century saw the first scientific research into the health benefits of cardamom. In 1978, the Indian Cardamom Research Institute was established, which later became the Indian Institute of Spices Research.

Today, medical research on cardamom and cineole is conducted worldwide, although the majority of studies are still from India. Here’s the best of what researchers are discovering:

Digestive Relief

Cardamom’s stomach-soothing ability is legendary. But it wasn’t until recently that studies started to show why it works. In the last 20 years, dozens of studies have shown that the volatile oils in cardamom are powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-spasmodic agents that can work together to improve digestion.

Calming the gut. For example, a study by a team of researchers in Saudi Arabia showed that volatile oils in cardamom may calm the gut by blocking receptors on cells that regulate muscle contraction. And a team of Indian researchers discovered that cardamom acted like cholinergic and calcium antagonist drugs: cholinergic drugs stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for salivation, digestion, and muscle relaxation; calcium antagonist drugs also relax muscles, by affecting the movement of calcium into and out of muscle cells.

Beating bad breath. Cineole is an antiseptic that kills bacteria that can cause bad breath.

Stopping ulcers. Several studies show cineole can slow or stop the development of aspirin-induced and alcohol-induced stomach ulcers in laboratory animals.

Preventing colon cancer. Animal research in India shows that cardamom can fight colon cancer cells several ways—reducing the inflammation that fuels cancer growth, stopping cancer cells from dividing, and killing cancer cells.

Cardamom for Cardiac Ills

Several studies show that cineole helps protect the cardiovascular system by:

Lowering blood pressure. In a study reported in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, cardamom lowered blood pressure in laboratory animals—the greater the dose, the greater the drop. The same study showed cardamom worked like a diuretic, a type of drug used to treat hypertension.

Preventing blood clots. Heart attacks and strokes are often caused by blood clots that block an artery. Indian researchers tested cardamom extract on human platelets, the structures in blood that stick together and form clots. The spice decreased platelet aggregation, the platelets’ ability to adhere to one another to create a clot.

Cardamom may help prevent and/or treat:

Asthma

Bad breath

Blood clots

Colic

Colon cancer

Constipation

Diarrhea

Heart disease

High blood pressure

(hypertension)

Indigestion

Sinusitis

Stomachache

Ulcer

Breathing Easier

Just as cardamom can relax the gut, it can also relax the airways, restoring breathing in people with respiratory ills.

German researchers

Easing severe asthma. studied 32 people with severe asthma who were dependent on anti-inflammatory steroid drugs, dividing them into two groups. One group added a supplement of cineole to their drug regimen; the other group didn’t. After two months, those taking cineole reduced their need for steroids by 36 percent, compared to 7 percent for the non-cineole group. “Long-term therapy with cineole has a significant steroid-saving effect in steroid-dependent asthma,” concluded the researchers in Respiratory Medicine.

Clearing up a sinus infection. Two German studies have found that cineole offers relief for sinus infection. In one, 152 people with acute sinus infections were asked to take either cineole (two 100-milligram capsules, three times a day) or a placebo. After just four days, those taking cineole had fewer headaches, less sinus pain, and less nasal secretion and obstruction. “Timely treatment with cineole is effective and safe,” concluded the researchers in Laryngoscope. In fact, they recommend those with an acute sinus infection take a supplement of the spice extract before trying antibiotics.

In a similar study involving 150 people with acute sinus infections, researchers once again found that treatment with cineole relieved sinus headache, eased tender sinuses, reduced nasal secretions, and decreased nasal obstruction. Treatment with the spice extract is “clinically relevant,” concluded the researchers.

Getting to Know Cardamom

India is the land of cardamom—for millennia, spice traders searched the mountainous rainforests of the Cardamom Hills in southern India, looking for precious pods growing wild on the roots of cardamom bushes.

The early Romans loved the Indian spice and imported it in vast quantities. They used it as many people in India still use it today—as Mother Nature’s toothbrush. Cardamom cleans the teeth and freshens the breath. In fact, it is one of the few substances that will help you dissipate “garlic breath” after eating a heavily spiced meal.

Today, cardamom is most popular in the cooking of India, Iran, Morocco, and the Arab nations. In Arabian cooking, it imparts a sweet aroma to savory curries and other dishes. It is a key ingredient in the Moroccan spice mix ras-el-hanout and the well-known Indian mix garam masala. It is also used in Indian sweets called halva, and in puddings, yogurt, custards, and ice cream. It gives the distinctive bouquet to India’s popular yogurt-based stews called kormas and rice dishes called biryanis. It is an important ingredient in the Indian hot spiced tea called chai masala, which in recent years has gained popularity in the US.

The best cardamom comesfrom the rainforests of southernIndia, where the pod is producedby a six-foot shrub.

True Cardamom and False Cardamom

There is Chinese brown cardamom. Thai green cardamom. Nepal or large cardamom. Java cardamom . . . and on and on. But they are all “false” cardamom. There is only one true cardamom—green cardamom, the Queen of Spices, the culinary spice universally referred to simply as cardamom.

India, however, has a second cardamom that’s somewhere between true and false—brown (or black), disparagingly called “bastard” cardamom. It is an integral spice in some of India’s most famous dishes, including those that are part of its famous tandoori cuisine, named after the tandoor, the in-ground oven in which it’s made. Brown cardamom is the key spice that gives the distinct taste and texture to the Indian specialties chicken tikka and butter chicken. It is sometimes added to rice dishes called biryanis, as well as to many other dishes.

The only place you’re likely to come across brown cardamom is in an Indian market, a specialty spice retailer, or online. It is only sold in pods, which are similar in texture to green cardamom but tan in color and twice the size. The pods are slightly dull and dusty in appearance.

The first encounter with brown cardamom pods is a culinary adventure. When you open a brown cardamom pod you will find gooey seeds in a sticky membrane. When you remove them they stick together, as well as to your fingers. The way to work with them is to transfer the seeds to a mortar and pestle with other dry spices, which will absorb the stickiness. You can then add them to other spices.

Brown cardamom has not been studied for its medicinal value, but it is in the same family as green cardamom and possesses some of the same volatile oils. It also has a flavor similar to eucalyptus. It doesn’t demand nearly the same price as green cardamom—about a third of the cost of green cardamom pods that can sell for upward of $30 a pound. (In Indian markets the cost is much less.)

As popular as cardamom is in cooking, 80 percent of the world’s cardamom is used by the Arab-speaking nations to make coffee. It is a custom in Arab homes to serve cardamom-flavored coffee calledgahira to guests as a sign of hospitality and generosity. The technique is simple: Push a cardamom pod into the narrow of the coffeepot spout and pour. When the hot liquid passes through the pod, it gives the coffee a refreshing taste. Cardamom is also the flavor that has gained Turkish coffee an international reputation.

The Vikings introduced cardamom to Scandinavia, where it is almost as popular as it is in South Asia and the Middle East. In Sweden, Denmark, and Finland it’s mostly used to flavor cakes, sweet breads, pastries (it’s what makes a Danish a Danish!), and pickled fruits and vegetables. It is also used to flavor glögg, a hot spiced wine popular during the cold winters of Sweden.

In Germany, kardamom is a popular spice for making Christmas sweets, especially the popular cookie call lebkuchen.

How to Buy Cardamom

The ground cardamom or cardamom seeds you find in the spice aisle of your grocery store appear neither exotic nor out of the ordinary (except, perhaps, for the price). Cardamom pods, however, are a different story, and you won’t find them in your typical supermarket. You have to go to an Indian market, a specialty spice shop, or an online retailer.

Both the pods and seeds are used in cooking. The best quality pods are small, with a gnarly oval shape and a paper-like husk. They are lime green in color. Look for pods with a vivid, even color; they shouldn’t be pale or bleached. Avoid pods that are split open at the corners, which indicates that they were harvested late and will have lost some of their volatile oils. “White” cardamom pods are green pods that have been bleached, a custom started and favored by the English. Spice connoisseurs prefer the green pods.

Cardamom pairs well with these spices:

Allspice

Almond

Cardamom

Chile

Cinnamon

Clove

Coriander

Cumin

Fennel seed

Ginger

Mustard

Star anise

Turmeric

and complements recipes featuring:

Chicken

Citrus fruit

Custards

Ice creams

Lamb

Nuts

Pudding

Rice

Tropical fruit,

especially mango

___________________________________

Other recipes containing cardamom:

Apple Pie Spice

Baharat

Berbere

Chesapeake Bay Seafood Seasoning

Garam Masala

Los Banos Low-Fat Brownies

Ras-el-hanout

Spicy Vanilla Rice Pudding

If you can’t find pods, buy seeds rather than ground cardamom. The volatile oils in cardamom seeds are sensitive—their pleasant aroma dissipates quickly after exposure to the air (in fact, the aroma starts to fade as soon as the seeds are removed from the pod). When you buy seeds, you can help retain flavor by grinding them only as needed.

Green cardamom seeds are actually brown in color but they’re called green cardamom (or simply cardamom) after the pod in which they come. They should feel slightly oily to the touch and have a scent resembling eucalyptus, with a hint of mint and pepper.

The best cardamom comes from the rainforests of southern India, where the pod is produced by a six-foot shrub with yellow and blue flowers. Cardamom is also cultivated in Thailand and Central America. The majority of the cardamom imported into the US comes from Guatemala, with most of the rest from India and Sri Lanka.

Intact cardamom pods will keep for two years in an airtight container away from sunlight. Seeds will keep up to a year under the same conditions. Ground cardamom has a shelf life of about six months.

In the Kitchen with Cardamom

If you’ve never smelled a cardamom pod, you haven’t experienced the spice’s true aroma. It is refreshingly astringent and pleasant to the palate. As a spice, it is quite versatile and can go with almost any sweet or savory dish.

Pods are best used in savory dishes based in liquid. Many ethnic recipes call for using a bruised cardamom pod. To bruise a pod, gently thump it with a rolling pin or put it under the flat end of a butcher’s knife and give it a gentle push. Bruising releases the oils, allowing their flavors to meld with the other ingredients. For recipes calling for whole seeds, bruising helps release their oils as well. At the end of the cooking, you should discard pods, but not seeds.

Ground cardamom is best for sweet dishes. Use sparingly, however, as it tends to be pungent.

Cardamom is a key ingredient in many traditional spice mixes, so consider using it when making your own mixes.

Here are some ways to get more cardamom in your diet:

• Spice your morning coffee as is the custom in many Arab-speaking countries. If you don’t want to go to the trouble of putting a bruised pod in the neck of a formal coffee pot, drop a crushed pod or two in the brewed pot from your coffeemaker and strain the coffee into your mug or cup. Consider one pod per two cups of coffee.

• Put one or two bruised cardamom pods in the liquid when making rice, or add a pinch of ground cardamom to rice pilaf.

• Sprinkle ground cardamom and a little sugar on grapefruit.

• Add a half teaspoon of ground cardamom to gingerbread or chocolate cake recipes.

• Add crushed cardamom seeds to Bananas Foster and other sweet fruit desserts.

• Add a teaspoon of ground cardamom to your vanilla cupcake recipe and vanilla pie fillings.

• Rub cardamom on a lamb roast before putting it on a spit.

Spiced Milk Tea

Known as chai masala or simply chai, this spiced beverage, which is sold by chai wallahs (tea vendors) all over India, is now popular worldwide. Although you can find chai blends in the supermarket, you can create a much better flavor and experience by making your own.

10 cardamom pods or ½ teaspoon cardamom seeds

1 one-inch cinnamon stick

4 white peppercorns

¼ teaspoon fennel seeds

2 cups low-fat milk

3 tablespoons brown sugar

½ teaspoon ground ginger

2 cups water

4 bags black tea

1. Remove the seeds from the cardamom pods and discard the pods. Dry roast the cardamom seeds, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, and fennel seeds in a hot skillet until they release their fragrance, about five minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool. Put them in a spice grinder or mini food processor and grind to a fine powder.

2. Put the milk in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the ground spices, brown sugar, and ginger.

3. Heat the water in another pot and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and steep the tea bags for three minutes. Pour the tea into the milk mixture and simmer one minute. Let the chai rest for a few minutes. Strain and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Mint: The Essence of Freshness – Keep Your Digestive Tract in Mint Condition

“Mint” is a name like “Smith”—very common. There’s field mint, forest mint, marsh mint, and mountain mint; Egyptian mint, Vietnamese mint, and Corsican mint; curly mint, thorn mint, and slender mint. And, of course, there are the famous twins, spearmint and peppermint. In all, about 600 plants answer to the name “mint.” (There’s even a Smith’s mint.) And thousands of products contain it.

Mint is one of the most popular and recognizable flavors in the world. It’s an ingredient in (among other things) soft drinks, candies, cocktails and liqueurs, jellies, syrups, cakes, ice teas, and ice creams. However, the mint that flavors these tasty treats is one mint: Peppermint. The sweet mint.

When you go to the grocery store to buy a jar of mint for recipes that call for the spice, you also are buying one mint: Spearmint. The savory mint.

But sweet or savory, refreshing mint is a potent healer. Starting with your digestive tract.

Keep Your Digestive Tract in Mint Condition

Studies show peppermint can help ease the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a digestive problem that strikes an estimated one out of every seven Americans, many of them women. Medical scientists call IBS a “functional” health problem—they can’t find any structural abnormality in the bowel, but they do know that it’s not functioning normally, as intestinal muscles contract slower or faster than normal. The result: a range of symptoms that can include abdominal pain, cramping, and bloating; excess gas; diarrhea and constipation (sometimes one, and sometimes both, alternating).

Peppermint relaxes the muscles of the GI tract, helping to normalize those contractions and ease symptoms.

In a study by Italian researchers, 54 people with IBS took enteric-coated peppermint oil for four weeks. (The coating ensures the pill dissolves in the intestines rather than the stomach.) At the start and end of the study, the researchers measured the severity of abdominal bloating, abdominal pain or discomfort, diarrhea, constipation, feeling of incomplete evacuation, pain at defecation, passing of gas or mucus, and urgency of defecation. Seventy-five percent of people taking the remedy had at least a 50 percent reduction in symptoms.

In another study, 110 people with IBS were divided into two groups: one group took a placebo, and one group took an enteric-coated peppermint oil capsule 15 to 30 minutes before each meal. Of those taking peppermint, 79 percent reported relief from abdominal pain and discomfort, and 29 were pain-free. Bloating was reduced in 83 percent. Flatulence was eased in 79 percent. And 83 percent reported having to take fewer trips to the bathroom. There was little improvement in the placebo group.

Researchers in Canada found that peppermint oil can help clear up bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine, a suspected cause of IBS. “The results in this case suggest one of the mechanisms by which enteric-coated peppermint oil improves IBS symptoms,” they concluded in Alternative Medicine Review.

And when researchers in the Gastroenterology Division of McMaster University in Canada evaluated 38 studies on treatments for IBS, they found three treatments were effective: more fiber in the diet, anti-spasmodic drugs—and peppermint oil.

But IBS isn’t the only digestive problem that mint can help solve.

Indigestion. Researchers in the UK evaluated 17 studies using a natural remedy combining peppermint and caraway oil, and found it effectively reduced stomachache and other post-meal digestive symptoms 60 to 95 percent of the time.

A study of 96 people in Germany found that a peppermint-containing remedy offered significant relief from what doctors call “dyspepsia” (and you call indigestion). After four weeks of use, there was a 40 percent reduction in symptoms.

Colonoscopy. Japanese researchers found that using peppermint oil during a colonoscopy reduced GI spasms in 86 percent of 409 people, with “no adverse affects”—making it a “convenient alternative” to anti-spasmodic drugs that “sometimes cause side effects.”

Upper endoscopy. During this medical test, a tube is inserted into the esophagus, stomach, and small intestine. The same team of Japanese researchers found that peppermint oil had “superior efficacy” compared to an anti-spasmodic drug in easing the procedure. Peppermint also produced “no significant side effects,” whereas the drug produced dry mouth, blurred vision, and urinary retention.

Mint may help prevent and/or treat:

Allergies

Anxiety

Breastfeeding

problems

Cancer

Chronic obstructive

pulmonary disease (COPD)

Cough

Fatigue, mental

Gum disease (gingivitis)

Hirsutism (unwanted hair growth in women)

Indigestion

Irritable bowel

syndrome

Menopause problems

Menstrual cramps

Nasal congestion

Nausea, postoperative

Polycystic ovarian

syndrome (PCOS)

Postherpetic neuralgia

Stress

Tooth decay

Caution: Peppermint isn’t perfect for all digestive problems. Some medical experts urge caution for those with heartburn, hiatal hernia, and kidney stones, because peppermint’s ability to relax the GI tract might make those problems worse.

Breathing Easier

Peppermint is rich in the compound menthol—the rush of coolness you feel from peppermint-containing foods, beverages, and self-care products is menthol stimulating coldness receptors in the mucous membranes or the skin.

In a study by Germany researchers investigating how menthol works to ease nasal congestion, they reached the same conclusion as enthusiastic buyers of mentholated lozenges: it produces “the subjective feeling of a clear and wide nose.”

Researchers in Wales agree. They studied 62 people with a cold, dividing them into two groups: half received a lozenge containing 11 milligrams (mg) of menthol and half a placebo lozenge. There was a “significant change” in “nasal sensation of airflow” in those sucking on menthol.

In the UK, researchers asked 20 people to repeatedly inhale a substance that would make them cough. Five minutes before each “cough challenge,” the people inhaled either menthol, a pine scent, or air. Only “menthol inhalation caused a reduction in cough,” wrote the researchers in the medical journal Thorax.

And when Japanese researchers impaired the breathing of 11 people, they found that breathing menthol produced a “significant reduction in sensations of respiratory discomfort.”

Minting More Relief

There are many other ways that peppermint and spearmint can refresh your health.

Postherpetic neuralgia. As mentioned a moment ago, menthol triggers cold-sensitive receptors in cells, producing a cooling sensation so intense that the compound is an ingredient in pain-relieving topical products such as Icy Hot and Bengay. Well, that rush of cold sensation is also why menthol might work in relieving the intense pain of postherpetic neuralgia—nerve pain after a bout of shingles, a blistering viral rash that typically afflicts people in middle and old age.

In a report in the Clinical Journal of Pain, researchers at the Pain Management Center of University College found that applying peppermint oil containing 10 percent menthol “resulted in an almost immediate improvement of pain” in a patient with postherpetic neuralgia, with the relief lasting four to six hours.

Work performance. Menthol also seems to refresh the mind. Researchers at Wheeling Jesuit University in the US found that sniffing peppermint oil improved performance on two clerical tasks: typing (speed and accuracy) and alphabetical filing. “Peppermint oil may promote a general arousal of attention” so people “stay focused on their task and increase performance,” concluded the researchers in the journal Perceptual and Motor Skills.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCPCOS). This condition of abnormally high testosterone levels afflicts one out of 10 American women. One feature of the syndrome is unwanted facial and body hair (hirsutism). Researchers in the UK found that drinking spearmint tea twice a day for one month reduced abnormally high levels of testosterone in women with PCOS. “Spearmint has the potential for use as a helpful and natural treatment for hirsutism in PCOS,” they concluded in Phytotherapy Research.

Mint pairs well with these spices:

Allspice

Basil

Cardamom

Chile

Cinnamon

Coriander

Cumin

Fennel seed

Lemongrass

Onion

Rosemary

Sage

Sesame seed

Thyme

and complements recipes featuring:

Chutney

Crabmeat

Cranberries

Curries

Lamb

Mango

Papaya

Peas

Yogurt

___________________________________

Other recipes containing mint:

Chaat Masala

Dukkah

Roasted Tomato Soup with Fennel and Mint

Shellfish in Saffron Broth

Stress and anxiety. Korean researchers found that nursing students who inhaled peppermint and other essential oils had less stress and anxiety. Inhalation of peppermint and the other essential oils “could be a very effective stress management method,” concluded the researchers.

Postoperative nausea. US researchers studied 33 surgery patients and found that inhaling peppermint oil decreased postoperative nausea (a common problem) by 29 percent.

Breastfeeding. “Nipple pain and damage in breastfeeding mothers are common causes of premature breastfeeding cessation,” noted a team of researchers, writing in the International Journal of Breastfeeding. They studied 196 breastfeeding women, and found that those who used a topical treatment of peppermint water on their nipples were three times less likely to develop a cracked nipple and five times less likely to suffer from nipple pain.

Tuberculosis. Russian researchers found that adding peppermint oil to combined multidrug therapy for tuberculosis helped kill bacteria and improve symptoms. “This procedure may be used to prevent recurrences and exacerbations of pulmonary tuberculosis,” they concluded.

Chemotherapy-induced hot flashes. In a study by researchers in the UK, some women found a spray containing peppermint oil “extremely helpful” in lessening hot flashes induced by treatment for breast cancer.

Cancer. There are dozens of test tube and animal studies showing mint can battle cancer. Peppermint, spearmint, and compounds in them have been effective in slowing, stopping, or killing lung, prostate, liver, skin, stomach, bladder, brain, oral, and blood cancers.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A combination of emphysema and chronic bronchitis, this lung disease is the fourth leading cause of death in the US. Researchers in China found that spearmint oil decreased inflammation in the lungs of rats with experimentally induced COPD.

There are about 600 plants in the mint family.

Cavities and gum disease. Researchers in the Middle East found that peppermint oil killed the bacteria that cause tooth decay and helped stopped plaque buildup.

MINT IS A COMMON FLAVORING IN TOOTHPASTES AND MOUTHWASHS.

Hay fever. In the laboratory, researchers in Japan found that mint extracts stop the release of histamine, the chemical that causes allergic symptoms such as watery eyes, itching, and nasal congestion. “These results suggest that extracts [of mint] may be clinically effective in alleviating the nasal symptoms of allergic rhinitis [hayfever],” concluded the researchers.

Getting to Know Mint

Spearmint and peppermint have been used as an ingredient in toiletries and cosmetics for centuries, and today they’re a common flavoring in toothpaste and mouthwash. But mint didn’t flavor food until the 17th century.

The English were the first to eat mint and they’re still big fans—no English cook would serve lamb without the traditional mint sauce. Americans also favor mint with lamb, preferring mint jelly.

Countries in the eastern Mediterranean (Greece, Turkey, and the Mediterranean countries of the Middle East) and Southeast Asia use a lot of mint, as does India—fresh or dried, in sweet and savory dishes. (And, of course, in tea: black tea brewed with spearmint is a favored beverage in the Middle East and Africa.)

Grilled Lamb Patty Pockets with Cucumber Mint Sauce

This Middle-Eastern dish, perfect for a picnic, gives a spicy twist on the traditional cucumber mint sauce called tzatziki.

For the sauce:

1 cup plain yogurt

1 cup peeled and seeded cucumber, coarsely chopped

¼ cup fresh mint, tightly packed

1 tablespoon lime juice

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon sweet paprika

¼ teaspoon chili powder

¼ teaspoon sugar

Freshly ground white pepper to taste

For the patties:

1 pound lean ground lamb

½ cup fresh breadcrumbs

½ cup diced onions

1 large egg, beaten lightly

1 large garlic clove, minced

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 tablespoon dried mint leaves, crumbled

1 teaspoon ground allspice

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ cup white sesame seeds, toasted

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

4 large pita breads

Toppings:

1 green bell pepper, sliced

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup pepperoncini peppers, sliced

1. To make the sauce: Place the yogurt in a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl and let it drain for about five minutes. Discard any liquid that drains from the yogurt.

2. Combine the cucumber, mint, lime juice, salt, cumin, paprika, chili powder, sugar, pepper, and drained yogurt in a food processor and blend until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.

3. To make the lamb patties: Combine the ground lamb, breadcrumbs, onions, egg, garlic, olive oil, mint, allspice, cinnamon, sesame seeds, salt, and pepper and mix well.

4. Wet your hands and form into eight patties. Spray the grate of a grill with non-stick spray and heat to high. Grill the patties for two minutes on each side or until desired doneness. Place two patties on a pita, ladle with the sauce, and serve with the toppings.

Makes 4 servings.

In India, mint raita, made with cucumber and yogurt, is a popular condiment; it’s a cooling contrast with hot curries. Mint is a key spice in the Indian meatballs known as kofta, and in the spice mix chaat masala. Spearmint is ground with coconut, chiles, onion, and green mango for chutney. It is also added to spicy rice dishes called biryanis.

In North Africa, mint is always around when harissa, one of the world’s hottest condiments, is served. It is a popular spice in Moroccan stews called tagines, and in stuffed vine leaves, a Middle Eastern specialty popular in the US. It is an ingredient in the Egyptian spice mix dukkah. It is also an important spice in Iranian and Turkish cuisines. Mint is the spice that defines the popular Greek yogurt and cucumber sauce called tzatziki.

In Malaysia, mint is combined with turmeric, galangal, lemongrass, and shrimp paste to flavor spicy noodle broths called laksas. Mint is in Thai green curry paste. It’s used in Asian stir-fries.

Mint is also one of a bartender’s best friends. There are about five dozen drinks in the bartender’s repertoire that include mint leaves or mint-flavored alcohol, such as the liqueur crème de menthe, used to make stingers and grasshoppers. The most popular mint cocktail these days is a mojito, which includes citrus juice and tequila. And, of course, there is the German favorite peppermint Schnapps. On the first Saturday in May, when Churchill Downs hosts the Kentucky Derby, 1,000 pounds of fresh mint are mulled to make Mint Juleps, the classic derby drink, made with bourbon, simple syrup, bitters—and lots of mint.

How to Buy Mint

As already mentioned, the generic mint you get from the grocer is dried spearmint, but you can get dried peppermint from specialty spice shops or online. (You’ll find a list of spice retailers in the “Buyer’s Guide”.)

Dried mint (spearmint) is sometimes referred to as rubbed mint, because the leaves break into tiny pieces when the dried leaves are rubbed off the stems. It darkens when dried, becoming almost black. But the color doesn’t affect quality or freshness.

For freshness, check the aroma. Spearmint should smell warm and slightly pungent; peppermint, cool and slightly peppery.

In the Kitchen with Mint

Unless you’re into making specialty cakes and confections, there is little use for peppermint in the kitchen other than making tea. There are, however, many uses for spearmint.

Mint is a dominant flavor. For this reason, many cooks think mint doesn’t marry well with other spices. But chefs adept at Indian and Asian cuisine blend it with other strong spices with success.

Here are ideas to put more mint in your diet:

• Break mint sprigs in small pieces and freeze them with water in ice cube trays. Use the ice in iced tea, lemonade, and tonics.

• Sprinkle mint in butter spread for corn on the cob.

• Grind fresh or dried mint with a pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle and add it to olive oil and vinegar dressing.

• Add mint to cream-based soups and sauces.

• Add mint to pea soup and dishes featuring peas.

• Add mint to cold cucumber soup.

• Substitute mint for basil in a mint pesto.

• Make an untraditional chimichurri sauce by substituting mint for the parsley.

• For a change of taste, use mint instead of oregano or marjoram in eggplant and tomato dishes.