Rashida
With the holidays right around the corner and snow being only a matter of time away in colder states, the time has come.
Winter is in full swing.
The time where you cannot take two steps without seeing, hearing, or smelling something peppermint.
From Bath and Body Work’s Twisted Peppermint scent to Starbucks’ Peppermint Mocha, you can find peppermint any and everywhere.
If you had the chance to read our fall post about the rise of Pumpkin Spice, you know we like to debate some of life’s most gripping questions.
Up today: how did peppermint become the winter icon it is today?
The Origin of Peppermint
Peppermint is an essential oil, but how the heck did it make its way into a bunch of candies and drinks?
Some people believe that candy canes were created as Christain symbols but a thorough investigation from Snopes.com has concurred this is false.
The origins of candy canes dates back to the end of the 17th century. The association between candy canes and Christmas didn’t happen until the later part of the 19th century, nearly 200 years after the potential invention of the peppermint treat. Interestingly enough, there was no visual evidence of the striped white and red candy cane until 1900, before then any Christmas cards showed a plain white cane.
There are lots of wives ’ tales about when and how peppermint candies were first made and how it connected to Christmas, but there’s really no evidence-backed origin story. According to Ryan Berley, the owner of Shane Confectionery in Philadelphia, mint-flavored candies date back hundreds of years in Europe, and potentially longer in the Middle East. This information makes it likely that peppermint has been added to candy for a LONG time, far before it became part of the candy cane and holiday cheer.
Winter in Your Mouth
Okay, so there’s no clear answer about when or why we started adding peppermint to stuff, but how did it take over winter?
Peppermint contains chemical menthol, which is what produces that icy taste. Menthol tricks our brains into perceiving a cool sensation because it activates the same nerve ending receptors involved in sensing cold! While scientists aren’t quite sure why, we are hard-wired to enjoy the refreshing, cooling sensation, as it can satiate thirst, increase alertness, and ease breathing. The cooling sensation of peppermint feels like winter.
Just a Coincidence?
Peppermint and winter may actually just be…a cultural phenomenon. In his research of peppermint candy, Berley found that before AC existed, hard candies could only be successfully made in the winter. Summer heat would ruin the texture of the candy, so hard candies were a wintertime treat. Peppermint, unlike other candy flavors, doesn’t cook-off in the candy-making process.
The big mystery is when confectioners started to add peppermint to candy canes, which were a Christmastime treat. The unconfirmed legend of the candy cane itself is that a German choirmaster asked the candy maker to add a shepherd’s crook to the candy stick to remind kids of the nativity scene, but nobody really knows.
Regardless, peppermint is winter’s signature flavor and has been for hundreds of years. It may have started with candy canes, but now peppermint is in EVERYTHING during the winter. If you want to branch out from candy canes you can try:
- Peppermint bark
- Peppermint Oreos
- Peppermint Schnapps
- Peppermint ice cream/shakes
- Candy cane lip gloss by Philosophy
- Burt’s Bees Peppermint and Rosemary Body Wash
Peppermint lovers, it’s your time to shine. If you aren’t a huge mint person, you may enjoy body products or candles a bit more than the flavored drinks and treats. Peppermint candy may be one of life’s greatest unsolved mysteries, but maybe that’s just part of the holiday magic.
