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The ancient Greeks even had a myth for mint

 
Published May 14, 1998|Updated Sept. 13, 2005

(ran TP, NP, ST editions)

Greek mythology traces mint to the story of Pluto, god of the underworld, who fell in love with a nymph named Minthe.

That enraged Pluto's wife, Persephone, who stomped on Minthe. Pluto rescued her by turning her into a plant, one with a fresh, appealing scent when crushed.

Romans and Greeks used mint in rituals and rites as well as in medicine. In India, mint was put in temples, where worshipers would step on it and release the fragrance.

Several cultures considered mint a symbol of hospitality and used it to signal that the guests were welcome.

Source: International Herb Association.

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