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.