Peppermint
Herbal infusion
4.8/5 · FindMeTea score
About this tea
Peppermint (Mentha × piperita) is a naturally occurring hybrid of spearmint and watermint, prized as one of the world's most refreshing herbal tisanes — a caffeine-free infusion, not a true tea. Its signature cooling sensation comes from menthol, which can comprise up to 40% of its essential oil. Used medicinally for over 3,000 years, peppermint is cultivated commercially across the Pacific Northwest of the United States, the UK, and parts of India, making it one of the most versatile and widely consumed herbs on the planet.
How to brew: 95°C, 5 min, 2 g per cup.
Caffeine
None
How to brew
Flavor notes
minty, refreshing, fresh
Often associated with
Freshness, Digestive feeling
Best time to enjoy
Any time, After a meal
Tags
Where to find it in United States
Where to find it in United StatesNear Columbus
- North Market SpicesOther Herbal infusion
Columbus · North Market, downtown
Spearmint, Crushed Leaves
from US$ 3.85· 1 oz
In storeOnline59 Spruce Street, Columbus, OH 43215See the shop → - Posh Teatime Co.Other Herbal infusion
Columbus · Franklinton, West Broad Street
Farmer's Market Fruit Blend
from US$ 16.95· 4 oz
In storeOnline1273 W Broad Street, Columbus, OH 43222See the shop → - Chado Tea RoomThis tea
Los Angeles · Downtown (Little Tokyo) and Hollywood; also Pasadena, Torrance
Peppermint
US$ 14.38· 4 oz
In storeOnline369 East 1st StreetSee the shop → - Sencha Tea BarThis tea
Minneapolis · Uptown (also Madison, WI)
Peppermint
from US$ 3.99· 1 oz
In storeOnline2601 Hennepin Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55408See the shop → - The Path of TeaThis tea
Houston · Upper Kirby / Montrose (W Alabama St)
Organic Peppermint
US$ 8· 2 oz
In storeOnline2340 W Alabama St, Houston, TX 77098See the shop →
Origin & Production
Peppermint is a sterile hybrid that does not occur in the wild — it propagates exclusively through runners and cuttings. The Willamette Valley in Oregon and the Yakima Valley in Washington produce the bulk of the world's premium peppermint oil. Historically, the Mitcham region of Surrey, England, set the global benchmark for peppermint quality — 'Mitcham peppermint' remains the gold standard cultivar name. India's Uttar Pradesh has become a major producer for the global essential oil market.
Production process
Propagation
Because peppermint is a sterile hybrid, it cannot be grown from seed. Farmers plant stolons (underground runners) or root cuttings in early spring, spacing them in rows across well-irrigated fields.
Growth & harvest
Plants reach full maturity in 60–90 days. Harvest occurs just before flowering, when menthol concentration peaks. The entire above-ground plant is cut 2–3 inches above the soil to allow regrowth.
Field drying (wilting)
Cut stems are left in windrows on the field for 1–2 days, reducing moisture content before processing. This wilting step concentrates the essential oils in the leaves.
Drying & processing
For tisane use, leaves are stripped from stems, dried at controlled temperatures (30–40°C) to preserve menthol and color, then cut and sieved to the desired leaf size.
- Free
- Sundays
- 2 min
Drink better tea, one Sunday at a time.
A fact for the table·A shop worth the trip·A better cup·Ritual & kit of the week·Tea fun facts
History & Tradition
From ancient Egyptian tombs to Roman banquet halls to modern pharmacopeia, peppermint has been a cornerstone of herbal medicine for millennia — though the hybrid we know today was only formally identified in the 17th century.
Ancient Egyptian use
The Ebers Papyrus, an Egyptian medical text dated to about 1550 BCE, is one of the earliest written records of mint, which appears among the plants it lists — the same leaf that would later season Roman banquets.
Pliny the Elder documents mint
The Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder wrote in his Natural History that mint stimulates the appetite and that Romans crowned themselves with peppermint at feasts and adorned tables with it.
Peppermint identified as a hybrid
English botanist John Ray first described Mentha × piperita as a distinct hybrid in his Synopsis Methodica Stirpium Britannicarum, distinguishing it from spearmint and watermint.
Mitcham mint boom
The village of Mitcham in Surrey, England, became the world capital of peppermint cultivation. 'Mitcham peppermint' set the quality benchmark that persists to this day as the premier cultivar.
Europe writes peppermint leaf down
The European Medicines Agency's Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products adopted its first monograph on peppermint leaf in 2008 and a revised version in 2020. The document files the leaf under traditional use — the category for preparations whose long-standing use is documented but whose clinical trial evidence the committee considers insufficient.
What's in the cup
What the European monograph says
The European Medicines Agency's herbal committee registers peppermint leaf as a traditional herbal medicinal product. Its conclusions say these preparations "can be used for relief of digestion-related problems such as indigestion and flatulence", only in adults and children over the age of 4, and that they are usually sold "as herbal tea to be drunk". That registration rests on documented use rather than on demonstrated efficacy: the committee states plainly that "there is insufficient evidence from clinical trials" and that its conclusions stand on at least 30 years of safe traditional use.
Source: EMA/HMPC — Peppermint leaf (Menthae piperitae folium), monograph revised 2020
What the evidence does and doesn't show
The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health draws a sharp line between the oil and the leaf. Of the oil it says a small amount of research suggests it "in enteric-coated capsules may improve IBS symptoms in adults", and that a 2022 review found it "better than placebo at improving overall IBS symptoms and reducing abdominal pain but caused more side effects than placebo". Of the plant in your cup it is blunter: "Very little research has been done on peppermint leaf. There is not enough evidence to definitely determine whether peppermint leaf is useful for any health condition." The tea itself "appears to be safe", though the long-term safety of consuming large amounts of leaf is unknown.
Menthol, menthone and carvone
The cold edge of peppermint comes from menthol, which can make up as much as 40% of its essential oil, alongside menthone. Spearmint, its milder parent, carries carvone instead of menthol, which is why a spearmint cup tastes sweeter and rounder while peppermint reads as sharp and icy. Growers cut the crop just before flowering, when menthol is at its peak.
Caffeine-free, any hour
Peppermint is a herb, not a leaf of Camellia sinensis, so its infusion carries no caffeine at all. That is why it turns up at the end of dinner and in late-evening cups, and why it has been a table herb since Roman banquets — Pliny the Elder described mint crowning guests and adorning the tables. It also drinks well over ice: brewed strong and chilled, it keeps its cooling snap.
This isn't medical advice. If you have a specific condition, or you are pregnant or taking medication, check with a healthcare provider.
- Free
- Sundays
- 2 min
Drink better tea, one Sunday at a time.
A fact for the table·A shop worth the trip·A better cup·Ritual & kit of the week·Brew better
Grades & Varieties
Whole-leaf peppermint
Premium dried whole leaves with minimal stem content, offering the fullest menthol flavor and aroma. The leaves retain their bright green color and produce a crisp, intensely cooling infusion.
Best for
- ✓Loose-leaf hot infusion
- ✓Iced peppermint tea
- ✓Gourmet herb blends
Spearmint (Mentha spicata)
The milder parent species of peppermint, with a sweeter, less intense flavor due to containing carvone instead of menthol. Popular in North African and Middle Eastern mint tea traditions (especially Moroccan mint tea with gunpowder green tea).
Best for
- ✓Moroccan-style mint tea
- ✓Children's herbal blends
- ✓Cooking & cocktails (mojito)
Peppermint tea bag cut
Finely cut peppermint leaves optimized for quick extraction in tea bags. Offers a strong, immediate menthol hit with a shorter steeping time, though with less complexity than whole-leaf preparations.
Best for
- ✓Quick cup after a meal
- ✓Office & travel convenience
- ✓Iced tea in bulk
Did you know?
Peppermint is a natural hybrid of watermint and spearmint; in Greek myth, the nymph Minthe was turned into the plant and given a sweet, cooling scent by Hades.
Foods with this tea
What to Eat with Peppermint Tea
Peppermint's cool menthol punch pairs beautifully with fresh salads, dark chocolate, and Mediterranean flavors—light foods that let the mint shine.
Peppermint Tea–Marinated Halloumi Salad
Halloumi marinated in peppermint tea, grilled until golden, and served over a vibrant cucumber-tomato salad with a mint-lemon dressing.
Peppermint Tea Dark Chocolate Mousse
A velvety dark chocolate mousse infused with peppermint tea—intensely chocolatey, naturally minty, and surprisingly light.
- Free
- Sundays
- 2 min
Drink better tea, one Sunday at a time.
A fact for the table·A shop worth the trip·A better cup·Ritual & kit of the week·Tea recipes & drinks
Drinks with this tea
Peppermint, Ginger and Lemon Infusion with Honey
Fresh ginger steeped in boiling water, then peppermint, with raw honey and a squeeze of lemon: cooling, spicy and caffeine-free.
Iced Peppermint Lemonade Tea
Cold-brewed peppermint tea meets fresh lemonade for a caffeine-free cooler that's wildly refreshing and ridiculously easy to make.
Peppermint Tea Mojito
A tea-twist on the classic mojito—peppermint tea replaces muddled mint for a cleaner, more complex mint flavor with white rum and lime.