With its refreshing flavor and fragrance, mint is a versatile herb that blends well in both sweet and savory dishes, making it an excellent addition to many meals. Due to its false sense of coolness and hint of freshness it brings, mint is mostly preferred in spring, summer and fall dishes.
What to eat with mint? Mint adds a twist and refashion flavor to alcoholic beverages, pairs well in salads and serves as an excellent garish for dessert. A few flavors that work best with mint are a combination of cinnamon and spearmint.
A mint chocolate stout is made by adding chocolate mint, Irish cream and coffee. A sweet spring mojito is made by mixing peppermint, rum, and lime for a delicious and refreshing cocktail
Try to avoid mixing strong flavors with savory foods because it will eliminate the mint flavor. Additionally, avoid blending with too much oregano in a dish as it will get easily overpowered.
From Vietnamese spring rolls to green curries in Thai cuisine, mint offers a touch of freshness that elevate the experience in every bite. Generally known as spearmint, there are multiple varieties of mint that offer both cooling and sweetness to enhance and give the finishing touch to every dish.
If you are looking where to add mint, this article analyses the flavors, herbs, meat, alcohol, and fruits that pair perfectly with mint. Answered below are frequently asked questions about what to eat with mint so that you know how to pair it with your favorite foods.
What goes well with mint?
A variety of foods go well with mint. These may include meat, fruit, herbs and alcohol such as:
- Meat: Not only in dessert, mint is great herb that goes well with lamb prepared in many different ways.
- Chocolate: With chocolate, all that is needed is an additional flavor to take the dish to the next level. Combining chocolate and mint may give a great palate for expanding the taste, especially with dark chocolate.
- Salads: Using mint is a great way to boost a salad. A salad with strawberries, basil and balsamic would be an impressive dish; however, adding a chiffonnade of mint on top of a green salad or any other salad could do the trick.
- Lemonade: Throwing in some mint leaves or mint ice cubes into a cucumber lemonade gives it that refreshing twist. The combination is a perfect match.
- Smoothies: Mint can be added in a protein smoothie, berry smoothies and other smoothies too. It gives the smoothie a delicious taste once blended with the rest of the ingredients.
- Cheese: When it comes to cheese, mint pair well with feta cheese and ricotta cheese.
- Vegetables: To match with coolness of mint, cucumber, baby carrots, eggplants, young peas and delicate potatoes are the best option.
- Beans: Any beans that are fresh black and white beans work well with mint.
Mint is widely used in many dishes, but mostly found in Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Indian, and Moroccan cuisine. As you can see, the flavor goes well with variety of ingredients.
What herb tastes good with mint
Depending on the finished meal, there are different herbs that go well with mint. They include:
- Basil and oregano: adding mint to these two give a twist to the Italian dishes and a salad dressing.
- Chili pepper: Dried pepper, especially jalapeño, and mint leaves are added to Mediterranean dishes to add spice.
- Ginger: A unique blend of sweet and spicy makes this flavor combination quite bold and exquisite.
What fruit goes well with Mint
Mint complements plenty of fruits with its cooling and sweet flavor especially with tropical fruits. Some of these fruits are:
- Citrus fruits: Lime, lemon and oranges.
- Stone fruits: Apricots, peaches, cherries and plums. However, peaches and plums go well when cooked.
- Figs and dates
- Melons: Including watermelon
- Berries and tree fruits: Such as strawberries, blackberries and raspberries.
What meat goes well with mint?
It may not be ubiquitous for meat dishes to have mint as an ingredient instead of in a salad. However, different types of meat can go well with mint in combination with other spices.
- Beef
- Lamb
- Chicken
What alcohol goes well with mint?
Mint is the most common herb used in alcoholic beverages. Whether it is decorative or muddled in as part of flavor, here are the best alcohol drinks that go well with mint:
- Classic mojito
- Mint Julep
- Gin Mule
- Southside cocktail
- Mint Collins
- Berry Vodka smash
- Southside fizz
- Watermelon martini
- Whiskey smash
On the other hand, mint pairs well with wine as well. In general, these wine selections go well with mint:
- Cabernet Franc
- California Cabernet Sauvignon
- Gewürztraminer
- Merlot
- Pinot Noir
- Riesling
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Shiraz/ Syrah
For any dessert that includes mint as ingredient, these are great dessert wine to consider pairing with:
- Asti
- Moscato d’Asti
- Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise
What flavors work with mint?
With the proper balance of mint, many flavors bring out the right aroma and taste. There is often a very thin line between too much mint and not enough.
Mint has a cooling and clean taste that can bring a good twist to a meal or dessert. Some of the recommended flavors with mint are:
- mint + chocolate + cream
- mint + cilantro + dill
- mint + cucumber + lime / vinegar / yogurt
- mint + lamb + yogurt
Eat With Mint: Conclusion
Mint is the most versatile herb used in dessert, salad, meat dishes and many more. It can be used in cooking, garnishing and even in making both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
Additionally, mint is healthy and fun to explore with because it gives a perfect twist to both food and drinks.
Generally used in desserts to pair with chocolate or as a key ingredient in tabbouleh and Earl Grey tea, mint is essential herb that can boost the flavor in every aspect.
Flavor wise, mint complements well with chocolate and cream, cilantro and dill, and cucumber with lime or vinegar or yogurt.
When paired with herbs and spices, mint works well mostly with basil, cinnamon and jalapeño chili pepper. Known for going well with fruits such as citrus, berries and melons.
Not only sweet dessert, but also goes well with lamb and feta cheese. When it comes to alcoholic beverages, the mint julep and mojito cocktails feature mint as the main ingredient.
There you have it! With mint, there are many ways to complement the dish anytime. If you are growing mint in your indoor kitchen or herb garden, use this list to add more to your favorite dishes.