mint is a popular herb which is liked by people across the world to add in their food items including desserts like frozen chocolate mint balls, mint lemon cake and drinks to give it a fresh, cool and minty flavor which you can imagine only once to taste the mint. it is little bit peppery and pine like flavor.
just like everyone i also like mint in drinks, food, and in preparation of sauces and marinades for grilling and roasting but sometimes we cant get mint due to some issues or non availability in market then we can use substitute for mint to make our recipes good and get mint resembling flavor in them up to certain extent and enjoy with dish with our family and friends.
people like to make many recipes with mint and add to various dishes like grilled chicken etc. but one of my favorite is mint sauce and mint dip to eat it with fried food, add to burgers as dressing, add in mozzarella cheese sandwich, drizzle over French fries platter etc.
Below i have shared some alternatives for mint for you to checkout and use in your dishes and recipe to make them tasty even in absence of mint.
Mint Alternatives and substitutes
Parsley
parsley comes with good aroma and taste to make your dishes flavorful. you can buy from supermarket in dried form or from market in fresh leaves bundle to use in recipes of your choice. parsley can replace mint for better soups and other similar dishes. to get its availability all the time you can also grow it in pots in your house. it can be added in tabbouleh salad recipes always which is made using bulgur, roasted veggies, mint, parsley etc. for making great tasting recipe.
roasted potatoes, grilled veggies, quinoa bowl, morning savory cereal bowls, green smoothies works as a great dishes to add parsley in them.
Basil
basil is also a good substitute of mint as it has similar aroma which is subtle than mint. it can be found anywhere easily, you can also grow it in your backyard to get year long supply of basil for making tasty food items. since its taste it mild when compared to mint you would have to use twice the amount of basil when replacing mint like replace every one spoon mint with 2 spoon basil, rest it depends on your personal taste preference.
Marjoram
If you want little bit citrus and pine like flavor then marjoram is the substitute to use in place of mint. you will get aroma similar to mint from it and taste is also good which would make dishes flavorful. it is more intense in flavor than mint so i would advice that you add it gradually in small quantities in your dish to get best flavor after using it which is blended with other herbs and spices of the recipe also.
marjoram is quite popular herb which people add as pizza topping to give it good aroma and flavor with other veggies of their choice. you can also add it in your mixer for preparing burger patties, meatballs, minced mixture for filings, casseroles, sausages, hot dogs etc.
people also like in egg omelet and other egg recipes besides adding in tomato curries, roasted cherry tomatoes salads, cheese platters with variety of cheese, spices and minced herbs in olive oil sprinkled over cheese to get great tasting cheese blocks on sticks.
If you are looking for traditional recipes then you can add in soups, sauces and vegetables stews of your choice to enhance the flavor of overall recipes for enjoying with family and friends as a replacement for mint in its absence.
Tarragon
tarragon comes from sunflower family and has somewhat licorice type flavor. it is not a popular alternative for mint but can be used if you like the taste and need arises for its use. some people also call it estragon. it works great in soups, meats and other such dishes when added in limited quantity to give the dish an underlying taste. it also has to ease out digestion issues and other ailments related to poor appetite.
Oregano
oregano also comes from mint family which makes it one of the potential alternative for mint. it is easy to find and comes in dry and fresh form to add in your dishes and make them tasty. it also comes mixed with some seasonings like Italian seasoning etc. you can use it in many recipes although it is more popular in Italian recipes like pasta, pizza, soups, sandwiches etc.
Rosemary
rosemary is all time popular substitute for mint that is liked by many people due to its subtle aroma and good taste. it works good in savory dishes like soups, vegetables etc. as an mint alternative but not so good in sweet dishes if you plan in using it. it is also called as Anthos and it belongs to mint family. since it has little different flavor than so keep the quantity you add to your recipe in check to best underlying taste from it when using as a mint replacement.
Cilantro
cilantro is popular herb used in many dishes. its flavor is different from mint but works as it alternative up to certain extent. you can use fresh cilantro leaves in your dishes to give it good flavor and smell. it also comes in dried powder form which can be added while cooking the recipe. it is easy to get in grocery and supermarket at cheap price. some people also called it coriander.
Cilantro is quite popular herb in reducing unwanted anxiety in your mind and relax it to reduce the stress which could be harmful if left unmanaged for long periods of time. it also helps with proper digestion of food and and reduces blood sugar in your body. You also gets anti inflammatory benefits from cilantro to reduce the pain and inflammation thus making your body work without any issues and problems.
Lemon extract
lemon extract can be added in form of lemon juice, lemon powder, lemon zest, lemon peels, dry lemon slices etc. to your drinks and food items to get fresh and citrus flavor in it. it wont give you mint flavor but will enhance the overall taste of your dish which could make it work even in absence of mint. if you use it with mint then also it works great in all recipes including drinks to give refreshing taste with awesome flavor to food and drinks. i like making lemon mint mojito with soda to have a good drink in sunny afternoon on weekends.
Peppermint extract
it works great as an alternative for mint in all kinds of sweet desserts and dishes to give you mint like flavor and freshness thus making your dessert delightful to eat. it is little bit spicier on the taste side when compared to mint itself but works great in sweet recipes and good in normal dishes. you can get many types of pepper mint extract from market which include flavored ones, natural peppermint extract and artificial extract to add in different recipes as per your liking.
Mint Tea
mint tea is an obvious alternative to mint which can be used in many items but works great when used in drinks to get mint flavor in them. if you want mint flavor in your marinades then also it can work. use it in moderation to get good flavor without overpowering your main recipe with tea flavor. it can work with other spices and herbs in conjunction to give flavor to your recipe overall. try using plain mint tea instead of flavored ones to get mint resembling flavors and alter you can add other flavors separately if you like to have them.
Frequently asked questions
What are mint alternatives for mojito?
To make your mojito drinks minty without using mint you can use mint sauce, peppermint extract, peppermint spirits, mint lemonade syrup etc. mojito drinks taste good without mint also but if you like you can use these mint substitutes for mojito to get your desired mint flavor up to certain extent in your drink. learn mojito soda drinks making with soda machine at home by reading this post.
Does dried mint works instead of fresh mint leaves?
yes dried mint works in place of fresh mint leaves and you can get it easily from supermarket store in plastic containers or you can also dehydrated the fresh mint leaves when you have excess to store it for long term and use full year round. dried mint is more potent in terms of flavor and aroma so the quantity required of dried mint would be less then fresh mint which is mild as it contains water in its leaves.
gradually add dried mint in your recipes to get the right amount of minty flavor without doing to much as you wont like too much mint in any recipe. rest try out dried and fresh mint in different recipes to check which works best with which dish.
What is difference between spearmint and normal mint?
Mint is a perennial plant with its distinct aroma and taste. All other kinds of mints including spearmint, pepper mint, apple mint etc. comes under the family of mint plant but they all have different flavor due to the different plant they comes from.
the most popular mint types that comes under mint family are spearmint and peppermint which are widely used across the varied spectrum of food items to give them good aroma and taste in the final dish. spearmint can be used in making non veg dishes, salads, mojitos, mint veggies smoothies etc. just like normal mint which can be added to marinades, sauces, dips, dressings, pesto etc. to give them good flavor.
spearmint has little sweetness in it that’s why its also widely used in making mint gums and candies which we buy from stores for fresh mouth breath etc.
Conclusion
mint work as a great herb to give good taste to many dishes and drinks but if you cant get you hands on mint in fresh and dried form then use one the mint substitute shared above in your food to get good flavor and aroma from it to make it more appetizing.
let me know in comments below which alternative works for you in which dish when you don’t have mint with you and do you like adding dried mint leaves and powder or fresh mint leaves. i like adding dried mint leaves and powder in drinks as it gives good subtle flavor taste to drinks and in food i like fresh mint leaves for lasting aroma and taste which is not overpowering the other herbs in dish till the food is finished
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