Special Herbs with Unique Flavors

Spearmint mint or peppermint, ginger mint or Carinthian mint – from A (like pineapple mint) to Z (like lemon mint), you'd love to plant them all in the garden. This desire is actually quite reasonable, as the variety of mints is vast: for different uses, you actually need entirely different mint species and varieties.

The key factor is their respective menthol content. Menthol is the primary ingredient in mint, and it tastes sharper and more penetrating the more menthol a mint contains. Not everyone tolerates menthol the same way, so if needed, you should switch to mints with less menthol.

Mints with high menthol content (like spearmint, Moroccan mint, or peppermint) are popular for tea. The Karoo mint also adds a lovely sweetness to the tea made from its leaves.

However, it is relatively unusual here to season hearty dishes with mint. Yet, lamb tastes amazing when seasoned with English green mint. And as strange as it may sound: no pea soup without mint! Try the mild, slightly spicy, low-menthol Carinthian mint with its warm caraway note. Not only is it a must in the recipe for the Austrian national dish “Carinthian Kasnudeln,” but it also adds a refined touch to a quick omelette.

Exotic mints are also very popular: Pineapple mint, Banana mint, Strawberry mint, Grapefruit mint, Ginger mint, Chocolate mint, Lemon mint, to name just a few. These are not super high in menthol, but the menthol flavor tends to be stronger in varieties like Chocolate and Citrus mint compared to Banana or Strawberry mint.

These big names can easily lead to the expectation that these mints are packed with intense flavors corresponding to the plant names. However, the truth is that these mints only have a hint of the flavor associated with their names.

For practical use: Banana or Strawberry mint will always be mint, but their aromatic mix with hints of Banana or Strawberry (developed in the right conditions) works wonderfully in Banana Splits or whipped cream with fresh strawberries. Pineapple, Ginger, and Citrus mints, on the other hand, are great in fruit salads or as fruity toppings for cake layers: simply stir finely chopped mint into warm gelatin.

Hearty and sweet – this fascinating dual play of aromatic diversity works not only with mints but also with scented geraniums. The variety of their leaf aromas ranges from A for apple to Z for lemon. In between, there are geraniums with scents of balsam, coconut, strawberry, gummy bears, hazelnut, ginger, carrots, almonds, nutmeg, orange, peppermint, rose – and so on. They are far more versatile than could be comprehensively presented here. Accordingly, their uses are equally diverse.

The rule is: the purer the aroma of a scented geranium, the better it tends to fit in culinary use. Rose-scented pelargoniums are ideal for flavoring sugar when you gently crush the leaves and let them infuse in sugar for about three weeks. Leaves with this flavor work well with fruity-sweet dishes like melon or peach. Rose-scented as well as apple-scented varieties are great for flavoring jellies in summer.

The British do it as follows: Take a buttered springform pan, line it with apple-scented scented geranium leaves (e.g., Pelargonium odoratissimum or Pelargonium ‘Apple Mint’), cover it with shortcrust pastry and apples, and bake it all. Before serving the now wonderfully geranium-scented treat, remove the leaves. In England, rose- and apple-scented varieties are also used for tea-like infusions, fruit punches (especially lemon-scented scented geraniums), and finely chopped leaves in sorbets (depending on the flavor, they can have rose, lemon, or mint aromas). Lemon geraniums also work well in herbal vinegars.

Herbs with fruity aromas are easier to find appropriate uses for, but many herb enthusiasts find it much harder to use bitter herbs. What do you do with mugwort or southernwood, sage, wormwood, rue, and hyssop? Don’t be misled by the initially gall bitter taste of these herbs! The dose makes the difference – and when used properly, bitter herbs are a true delight. Remember, bitterness is one of the four basic taste sensations and, when used correctly, it can literally round out a dish harmoniously!

Mugwort, for example, is a must in goose stuffing. Just as it pairs well with fatty fish or meat, it goes perfectly with eel and roast pork. Sage also complements these two, as well as potato soup. Sage leaves dipped in beer batter and fried make a delightful snack. Sage is brilliant with lamb, especially when combined with rosemary, lavender, and Greek mountain tea (Sideritis odorata), finishing off with a pinch of cinnamon and a bit of dark chocolate.
Use wormwood like mugwort, but more sparingly and especially with game (rabbit, wild boar). Rue is better suited for lamb, cheese, or egg dishes. Hyssop enhances bean soups as well as hearty curd dishes. All of these herbs add a delicious bitter note.

But the crown jewel is pastor’s herb, southernwood. Its balsamic bitterness is an incomparable delicacy. Use it to stuff roast pork, round off game sauces, make poultry stuffing more digestible, give meatloaf a special kick, and don’t forget to add a few leaves to your cucumber salad! It’s also a treat with light meats like veal or turkey.