ABSTRACT
Acknowledgments .............................................................................................................. 161
References .......................................................................................................................... 161
Many kinds of mints, Mentha species, grow wild in different parts of India and continue to be
used widely as the traditional items of culinary or salad and herbal medicine. The commercial
cultivation of mints as a source of essential oils is a relatively recent development (Figure 4.1).
Because of the suitability of Indian agroclimates and soils for mint cultivation as an annual
crop, India has become the major supplier of certain mint oil(s) to the international market.