Nano mint
Three different types of mint are usually referred to as nano mint:
- Mentha spicata var. Crispa, Morocco ' (also Moroccan mint ), a natural variety of spearmint ( Mentha spicata var. Crispa ) from North Africa .
- Mentha spicata var. Crispa 'Nane' , the actual “ Nana ” mint, like the Moroccan mint, a variety of the curly mint , but from the Middle East .
- Mentha x piperita var. Piperita 'Nana' (also peppermint 'Nana' ), a cultivated variety ( hybrid ) of peppermint ( Mentha x piperita ) that can only be propagated vegetatively .
Word origin
Arab. نعنأع (spoken about na'naa 'in Arabic and nanaa in Persian ) is the Arabic and Persian word for mint, Turkish nane . In the dictionaries it is mostly translated as peppermint , but Iranians, Moroccans and Turks generally use it to refer to mint .
Moroccan mint
The Moroccan mint ( Mentha spicata 'Morocco' ) is part of the Moroccan national drink as well as green tea , hot water (60-80 degrees) and lots of sugar, but is also added as a herb to numerous dishes, especially salads, and is used in bunches to repel insects . It blooms pale purple, has lime green, pointed oval, rough leaves, but does not grow as profusely in Central Europe as it does in its homeland and can freeze to death in cold winters. It therefore tends to live in warm areas.
Peppermint 'Nana'
The peppermint, Nana ' ( Mentha x piperita var piperita, Nana.' Has) the typical menthol - flavoring like all peppermints, has light green leaves, flowers purple, is only about half as high as other mint species and is especially popular for fragrance gardens and suitable .
Nane mint
The Nane mint ( Mentha spicata var. Crispa 'Nane' ) is similar in appearance to the Moroccan mint and also plays about the same role in the Middle East ( Iran , Turkey , Arab countries) as the Moroccan mint in North Africa . It is often drunk in black tea , and many dishes are seasoned with it.
Persian mint
Another variety of curled mint (50–90 cm), the smaller (only 30–40 cm) Mentha spicata var. Crispa , is also directly called Persian mint . It is part of the yogurt drink Dugh .
Nana mint in Germany
The Moroccan mint is available fresh as a bundle in Moroccan grocery stores in Germany. Occasionally it is also offered with roots in the pot at weekly markets .
In tea shops, an herbal tea is offered under the name Nana Mint , which consists of dried leaves and the aroma of which differs considerably from tea made from fresh herbs .
In contrast to Germany, mint is used almost exclusively as a fresh herb (with leaf and stem) in North Africa as well as in the Middle East, only rarely dried.
Others
According to an Arabic tradition, the Krause Mint is said to help its owner to achieve incredible wealth.
literature
- Peter McHoy; Pamela Westland: The Herbal Bible . Cologne 1998. ISBN 3-8290-0323-4 .
- Maria Teresa Della Beffa: The great natural guide herbs . Klagenfurt 2001. ISBN 3-7043-1314-9 .