The Curiously Strong Story of Mint

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What’s the coolest flavor of the holiday season? It's peppermint, obviously, and it’s showing up in everything from coffee to chocolate and cookies to ice cream right now. But while standing in line for a peppermint mocha is a standard feature of the holiday season today, there was a time when this garden-standard herb was seen as so special—even powerful—that it made three American entrepreneurs rich enough to be crowned the "Peppermint Kings." This episode, the story of the forgotten American mint monarchy, plus the fascinating science behind why mint cools your tongue and maybe really does cure all. Join us to jingle all the way through peppermint heists, the surprising link between mint essence-peddlers and the abolition movement, and the true stories behind your favorite mint candies—including the disputed origins of the iconic candy cane.

Episode Notes

Dan Allosso

Dan Allosso is the author of Peppermint Kings: A Rural American History. He teaches history at Bemidji State University in Minnesota.

The label from a 1920 bottle of A.M. Todd peppermint oil, which chemist Todd marketed for being crystal clear rather than yellowish, like other peppermint oils. (Image credit: A.M. Todd Company archives, photo by Dan Allosso)
Left, an illustration from an 1849 newspaper column showing an essence peddler; right, mint (and hemlock) essence bottles from an Ashfield-based company called Jasper Bement, circa 1840. (Photo credit: Ashfield Historical Society, photo by Dan Allosso.)

Pam Dalton

Pam Dalton is a scientist at the Monell Chemical Senses Center and an expert on chemosensation. You can hear more from Pam in our episode about chili peppers, So Hot Right Now, as well as in our exploration of mustard and wasabi in our first installment of Ask Gastropod.

Jason Liebig

Jason Liebig is a candy historian and studies the history of American candy brands.

A Lifesavers ad from the 1930s.

Gary Allen

Author Gary Allen has written several books about herbs, including Herbs: A Global History.

Transcript

Click here for a transcript of the show. Please note that the transcript is provided as a courtesy and may contain errors.