"The savor or smell of the water mint rejoiceth the heart of man."
--John Gerard's Herbal (1597)

"Eat Betoyne and Mynts prepared in honey, use herbs grace in thy Wine."
--Ram's Little Dodoen (1606)

"It is the destiny of mint to be crushed."
--Waverly Root's Food (1980)

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Ovid tells the story thus: when Persephone came upon the guilty pair, she threw Menthe to the ground to trample her--thus is mint always crushed to release her flavor.

It was introduced into England by the Romans--and was used in baths...and also strewn to sweeten the smell of churches. One old belief had it that if a wounded man ate mint, he would never recover.

Beloved generally by the Arab world, where it is a staple in renowned Moroccan mint tea, its popularity is invoked in an Egyptian folktale called "The Mint Vendor," or "Yab ta Îl Nê nâ":

There's the lad who sells the mint leaves.
How I love those leaves sweet scented.

Take me home to my own people,
And a kiss I will allow you,
And bestow upon you riches,
And a bunch of mint, sweet scented.

There's the lad who sells the mint leaves.
How I love those leaves sweet scented.

If you take me to my mother,
On the lips a kiss I'll offer,
Treasures rare, too, I will give you,
And a bunch of mint, O sheikh Ahmad.

There's the lad who sells the mint leaves.
How I love those leaves sweet scented.