Mint (candy)

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This article is about the candy. See Mint (disambiguation) for other meanings.
Scotch mints

A mint is a candy (sweet in British English) characterized by the presence of mint flavoring or real mint oil, whether it be peppermint oil, spearmint oil, or another natural or artificial source. Wintergreen and other oils or flavors are also frequently used in mints; however, these are not of the mint (mentha) family or botanical class.

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[edit] Types of mint candies

[edit] Hard mints

Hard mints, often called "breath mints", are popular as breath fresheners since the taste and smell of mint oil and its active components are quite strong and feels clean and cool to the mouth as well as soothing to the stomach[citation needed]. Examples of hard mints include St. Claire's Organic Peppermints, Meltzer's Puremints, Altoids and Tic Tacs. In addition to breath freshening, mints that actually contain peppermint oil or extract have been popular in helping with digestion after a meal[citation needed]. According to the German Commission E Monograph, real peppermint oil or extract has been used for cramp-like complaints in the gastrointestinal tract. This can help to explain why mints with real peppermint oil, in addition to peppermint tea, have been popular for and are frequently used after meals to help with digestion as well as to help freshen the breath. The mint flavoring is also connected with learning or subsequent recall[citation needed], it has been shown to lead to context-dependent effects because of the sucking on mint candy, or the chewing of mint gum. The FDA, however, does not acknowledge this effect.

[edit] Soft mints

Soft mints, such as "dinner mints" and "butter mints", are soft candies with a higher butter content, that dissolve more readily in one's mouth. An example of a soft mint is Brach's buttermints.

[edit] Scotch mints

A "mint imperial" or "scotch mint" is a white round candy with a hard shell but a fairly soft chewy center This classic confection is popular in Britain and other Commonwealth nations. The scotch mint and other older examples were spheroid; more recently fashion has moved towards a larger, discoid/oblate shape, somewhat akin to a flattened flying saucer. (The Van Melle Company of Holland markets such scotch mints as "Mentos Candies.") The name "scotch mint" comes from a specific mint plant, mentha × gracilis.

Candy canes are traditionally peppermint flavored.

[edit] References

 This article includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please improve this article by introducing more precise citations where appropriate. (December 2007)
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