USDA Mentha Spicata Herbal Supplement Certified by QAI Kosher A parent of peppermint and one of the oldest mints cultivated, spearmint is used to flavor all types of foods, such as jellies, jams, candies, sauces, desserts and fruit dishes. It is also used to flavor and fragrance toothpaste, mouthwash, lozenges and chewing gum. Spearmint makes a refreshing herbal tea and is delicious iced or hot. Native to the Balkan Peninsula and northern and western Turkey (it is often noted that the exact natural range is uncertain due to extensive early cultivation). Also found as an introduced or naturalized plant through most of Europe and the Mediterranean area as well as in North America. Cultivated throughout the temperate region. Spearmint is an herbaceous rhizomatous (forms lateral stems on top of the ground that “creepâ€