Each one of you must have used this refreshing ingredient once in your lifetime, be it in the form of your mojitos, gums, shampoos, soaps, or in any other form. But are you aware of its origin?
“Mentha” or Mint is a type of aromatic plant found in the fertile lands of northern India with several varieties like Mentha arvensis, commonly known as ‘corn mint’ or ‘Japanese mint’, Mentha piperita is commonly known as ‘peppermint’ and Mentha spicata also known as ‘spearmint’.
As every variety of Mint has a plethora of applications, we would like to take them separately and today we would like to share our love for peppermint and pure peppermint oil.
Peppermint oil, like lavender oil, has a wide range of uses and applications, earning it the title of "world's most versatile oil."
Why Peppermint over Spearmint & Cornmint?
The Uniqueness of Peppermint over the other varieties is in its concentration of menthol which is as high as 40% which provides it with a strong taste. Due to the presence of compounds such as L-menthol, menthone, methyl acetate, and limonene, it exhibits antibacterial activity and is mixed in cosmetics, tea, mouth fresheners, chest rubs and in foods & beverages as mojitos and chutneys.
Indian Connection with Peppermint Oil
Indians have been using peppermint for centuries as a culinary as well as a herbal remedy for a lot of issues such as flatulence, diarrhea or common cold. Majorly cultivated in the state of Uttar Pradesh contributing to more than 90% of the total production where certain districts like Barabanki alone contribute about 25 percent to 33 percent of the total peppermint oil production.
Where does Peppermint Grow in India?
Peppermint is largely confined to North India in the States Punjab and Haryana. In India, especially Uttar Pradesh, produces one of the best Peppermint in the world in select areas of Barabanki, Chandauli, Sitapur, Bahraich etc which are all in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
Experts say Barabanki lies in the Terai region that is ideal for mint cultivation.
States where peppermint is grown: UP(Uttar Pradesh), Punjab, Rajasthan
Districts of UK(Uttarakhand): Rudrapur, Bilaspur
Districts of UP: Barabanki, Moradabad, Bareilly, Badaun and Lucknow
Districts of Punjab: Ludhiana and Jalandhar
How is Peppermint Oil made from Peppermint?
Peppermint oil is obtained by the process of steam distillation where the leaves undergo the distillation process and result in peppermint water & pure peppermint oil. It is an essential oil extracted from the peppermint leaf and plant's leafy parts.
Best quality of peppermint essential oil is obtained from leaves in which the inflorescence on the main stem is at about 10–20% bloom while with increased leaf senescence the quality declines.
Also it is found that Peppermint Oil content is more in the second harvest as compared to the first one.
Peppermint oil comes in many different forms.
Here are a few examples:
Peppermint essential oils, a highly concentrated form that can be used for aromatherapy
A diluted essential oil which is good for skin
A less concentrated form of mentha that can be used to flavour foods.
Peppermint capsules, which can be used as dietary supplements
Indian Peppermint Over Chinese Peppermint
Due to its (lower) pricing structure and equivalent quality, India has become the world's primary and dominating supplier of mint oil and menthol, displacing China to a large extent. Due to growing input costs and labour costs in South China, its cultivation there is likely to diminish, and Indian mint will eventually find an increasingly larger market in the coming years.
This will result in a considerable increase in area under cultivation in India and we shall find significant growth of peppermint essential oil in the upcoming future of demand.
Why is it Difficult to Buy Authentic Peppermint Oil from India?
Due to peppermint essential oil's high export value and abundant supply, certain vendors indulge in malpractices as there is constant demand for this product and Quality Assurance is limited in rural areas. Some vendors just in order to earn a few pennies indulge in practices such as adulteration, manipulation of COA and much more.
Usually it has been observed that the peppermint essential oils are adulterated with mineral oils such as rapeseed or sunflower oil with surfactants which are binding agents as well as by adding cheaper varieties such as arvensis & synthetic chemicals which resembles the pure peppermint oil like the addition of L-carvone;
A few measures that can be taken to avoid adulteration are:
Menthofuran is a marker that is peculiar to peppermint and can be easily detected by GC-MS so as to confirm the authenticity of the peppermint oil;
Other techniques such as HPLC and organoleptic tests i.e. sensory evaluation by experts
So, how do you make sure you get the best peppermint?
Sourcing best peppermint from India would require you to do the following:
Identify verified farmers with good quality oils and Only source from farmers located to farm clusters.
Audit those farmers on their past records as well as their infrastructure, supply capacity and product maintenance.
Procure oils directly from farmer producer companies without any hassle regarding payments.
We understand that making great products require complete dedication and that is why we, Innoveo Exports have taken the responsibility to provide you with the best Indian peppermint from peppermint farm clusters while performing complete vendor auditing, maintaining consistent supply and ensuring smooth transactions. We source high quality raw materials like peppermint essential oil from the most reliable farmers who provide us with the most genuine & reliable peppermint oil.
For the curious ones
Frequently Asked Questions
How are Indian farmers facing the changing climatic conditions due to climate change?
Rainfall has been an issue now for farmers, but the Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, popularly known as CIMAP has come up with a technique known as the Early Mint technique, which reduces early mint technology which potentially reduces harvesting time by 20-30 days, increases the productivity of menthol mint by 15-20 percent and minimizes expenditure on land, labor, water, and fuel by about 20-25 percent.
The crop is sown like potatoes are i.e by making drains in the field so that water comes out easily if it rains. By employing this technique, the farmers can evade the pre-monsoon rainfall which often damages their crops.
Indian farmers are consistently supported by Research Organizations like CIMAP, making Indian Products one of the best in the world in terms of both quality and quantity.
What is the Suitable Climatic Condition to Grow Peppermint Essential Oil Plants ?
Peppermint is planted to extract peppermint oil in the middle of January and yields profits for farmers by the end of May.
For a high production and good quality of leaves, light showers at planting time and good sunny days at harvesting time are ideal.
The ideal sowing month could be January/February and for harvesting season of peppermint, it could be June or October.
Loam and sandy soil is suitable to cultivate mint for peppermint oil which is rich in organic matter , we can also cultivate it in the states where these soil can be found.as the grain of loamy soil is intermediate between sand and clay which would too provide better climatic condition in those areas.
What are the Benefits of Peppermint Oil?
Mint oil is used to make natural menthol, whereas dementhalized oil is used to flavour mouthwashes, toothpaste, and pharmaceutical products.
Peppermint leaf and peppermint essential oil have both been utilised for therapeutic reasons.
In the field of Pharmaceutical , it is found that peppermint oil benefits in cure of many ailments like- Asthma, Colic Exhaustion, Flu, Digestion, Flatulence, Headache, Nausea Scabies, Sinusitis, Vertigo.
In any case you think there is a need to release pain or bloating in the stomach, we kindly suggest you to take advice from your doctor before consuming any organic product.
We would love to hear from you and be your strength in sourcing high quality raw materials.
To see our product portfolio for peppermint, Click Here
Love, Innoveo Export Team
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