Spearmint

How a Spearmint Plant Travels from Field to Plate

When reaching for a fresh, minty treat after a delicious meal, nothing beats a spear of spearmint. This edible herb is derived from the Mentha spicata, a perennial flowering plant that is part of the Lamiaceae mint family. Every blade of spearmint traveling to a dinner plate is the result of a lengthy journey of growth and cultivation, transportation and integration, and final preparation and consumption. Understanding the intricate details of this journey will help appreciate and respect the flavor of the spearmint after it reaches the plate.

Spearmint’s Cultivation

The first stop in the travels of spearmint begins in the field. Spearmint, like many other herbs and vegetables, requires specific conditions for ideal growth. While the herb may not be native to all regions, it can survive in typically hospitable climates—such as subtropical, temperate, and humid tropical regions. Deep, well-drained soil with a low amount of organic matter must further be present and lack any concentrated levels of animal waste or other mineral deposits, with sunshine and regular irrigation helping the plant to thrive.

Once planted, the spearmint seedlings reach full maturity somewhere between 30 and 45 days. During this time, farmers carefully and regularly survey their crop, looking for signs of pest infestation or disease. Any spotted irregularities must be treated quickly, using environmentally friendly pesticides and other environmentally conscious methods. This is done to prevent any exploitation or damage to the spearmint’s delicate ecosystem.

Before entering the next phase of the journey, spearmint growers will check the plant’s leaves to verify their condition and quality. Only when large, fragrant, and dense leaves appear can the next step begin: joining the food chain.

Entering the Food Chain

Once the spearmint leaves have been verified for ideal growth and quality, the crop is now ready to enter the food chain. To do this, the plants are first uprooted and cut off at their stems. From there, the leaves and other components of the spearmint plant must now undergo separation.

This process of separation is typically done by hand, with workers carefully and individually separating the various leaves, leafy stems, and seeds of the spearmint. Each separated section is then placed into either a common bag or box before being loaded into a truck or other conveyance and sent off to a new location.

Commercialization

The next step on the spearmint’s journey is its commercialization. This includes important steps such as labeling, inventory storage, and distribution planning. Labeling involves the placement of stickers, tags, or other identifiers to the bags and boxes of spearmint components. The information placed on these identifiers help indicate the state or country of origin, so that manufacturers and distributors can better plan inventories and shipments accordingly.

Once the spearmint has been assigned formal identification, it can now be stored in its respective warehouses or refrigerated units. This is done to ensure its freshness and prevent any potential changes in flavor or texture. After proper storage, the spearmint can enter the distribution process.

Distribution Process

The spearmint’s journey ultimately ends in the hands of distributors, who are tasked with moving the edges of the plant from its production location to the respective stores and markets of the end-user. Distributors pick up the spearmint from the warehouses and carefully transport it across the country or even internationally—keeping in mind its potential spoilage, temperature sensitivity, and other factors that can affect its quality. In order to ensure its safety, typically the truck used by the distributor will be lined with a special insulation material.

When the transporter reaches their destination, the spearmint can then be officially delivered to the stores and markets. Typically, each store and market will have its own specialized machinery used to separate the plants into smaller, retail-ready sizes. These machines can further package the spearmint into sealed bags and boxes, so that it can stay as fresh and flavorful as possible as it travels to its final destination—your plate.

Preparation and Consumption

Once its journey is complete, the spearmint can now be taken home and prepared for consumption. However, its preparation begins long before it reaches the plate. All the way back in the fields, the spearmint is cleanly and carefully handled so that it arrives untouched and intact.

In addition, the spearmint was stored and transported to locations at a controlled temperature or instantly cooled, mitigating any potential spoilage throughout its travels. As the spearmint leaves and stem fractures are broken down in the store or markets, further breaks down the vector of contamination and reduces the risk of an inferior taste.

When you take the spearmint home, the herb can quickly be chopped, blended or simply added to any number of dishes or drinks, instantly adding its unique and flavorful, yet subtle, menthol-like taste. Whether you choose to add it to salads, desserts, smoothies, or any number of other dishes, a single spear of spearmint can certainly please the plate and provide that minty finish to many amazing outcomes.

Conclusion

Spearmint is an herb with a long journey to the plate. Its cultivation, commercialization, transportation, and preparation have each played their own critical role in ensuring its quality and protection on its route. After passing safely through each stage, the spearmint is then ready to be used, providing its unique and refreshing taste to many dishes and drinks. Each plate of spearmint, therefore, tells a story that stretches far beyond what can be imagined.