Riqles Mint

Description

Immerse your senses in the refined, aromatic charm of Riqles Mint—a peppermint variety steeped in both botanical intrigue and cultural heritage. Named in likely homage to the iconic 19th-century French peppermint extract Ricqlès, this mint offers a clean, cooling flavour with the characteristic intensity prized in both culinary and medicinal traditions.

Closely resembling Swiss mint in form, Riqles Mint features pointed, deep green leaves with a lightly serrated edge and a strong menthol aroma. It’s a versatile performer in the garden and the kitchen, ideal for brewing invigorating teas, flavouring chocolates, syrups, and iced desserts, or infusing oils and spirits with a refreshing zing.

The name Riqles Mint almost certainly pays tribute to Heyman de Ricqlès, a 19th-century silk trader with a deep passion for botany. In 1838, he developed a unique distillation process to extract and preserve the purest essence of peppermint oil, resulting in the famous Ricqlès Peppermint Extract—a staple of French apothecaries and later, a popular alcohol-based digestive. Though the precise mint cultivar used in Ricqlès is unknown, varieties like this one—with their high oil content and powerful fragrance—are likely candidates.

In the garden, Riqles Mint is a vigorous, upright grower that thrives in moist, fertile soils and full sun to partial shade. It makes an excellent container plant, especially where root spread needs to be controlled, and its rich green foliage adds depth and texture to any herb bed or ornamental planting.

Whether you’re drawn to its historic ties, its reliable flavour, or simply its visual appeal, Riqles Mint brings a touch of French botanical heritage and practical excellence to your herb garden. Perfect for gardeners who appreciate plants with a story—and a bit of minty bite.