Corn mint, also called field or Japanese mint, is the mint grown across Uttar Pradesh for menthol oil. India is the world’s largest producer of this oil, most of it from farms around Barabanki, Rampur, Badaun and Moradabad. It is harsher and more cooling than the spearmint used in chutney. Most of the crop goes to distillers, who make crystal menthol for balms, toothpaste and cough drops.
- Botanical name
- Mentha arvensis L.
- Family
- Lamiaceae
- Tamil
- Menthol pudina
- Hindi
- Jangli pudina
- Parts used
- Leaf, Distilled oil
- Habit
- Field mint; Tamil pudina is a shop word
- Last updated
- 2026-10-27
How to recognise Corn mint
It is a creeping perennial with square stems, spreading by underground runners, usually ankle- to knee-high.
The leaves are oval, toothed and opposite, with a strong cooling menthol smell when crushed.
Small lilac flowers grow in round clusters in the leaf axils along the stem, and the stem ends in leaves, not a flower spike.
Spearmint and peppermint carry their flowers in spikes at the stem tips.
Some botanists place the cultivated Japanese mint under Mentha canadensis, but growers and the oil trade still call it arvensis.
Traditional use of Corn mint
Farming
Farmers plant runner cuttings in late winter, cut the crop in early summer, and distil it in field stills right after harvest.
Uttar Pradesh farm practice
Household
Menthol crystals and mint oil are rubbed into balms for headaches and blocked noses and added to tooth powders.
Indian household practice
Kitchen
The leaf can be used like other mints but is strong, so cooks prefer spearmint for chutneys and drinks.
Indian kitchen practice
Modern notes on Corn mint
The oil is up to about three-quarters menthol, much higher than peppermint oil, which is why it is cooled to crystallise menthol.
Menthol feels cold because it switches on TRPM8, the nerve receptor that also senses cold temperatures.
The Lucknow research institute CIMAP bred high-yield varieties such as Kosi and Himalaya that spread across Uttar Pradesh.
Menthol from this mint competes with menthol made synthetically from petrochemicals, so farm prices swing widely.
Corn mint safety
Concentrated mint oil and menthol are toxic if swallowed. Never put menthol balm or oil on a baby’s face or near the nose, because it can trigger breathing spasms.
Ecology and sourcing
It grows wild in damp fields, ditches and stream banks across temperate Eurasia.
Its runners spread it quickly, so it can take over moist garden beds.
Bees and small butterflies visit the flower clusters.
Related plants
Also in Lamiaceae
Questions about Corn mint
Is Corn mint the pudina used in chutney?
Usually not. Chutney pudina is mostly spearmint, Mentha spicata.
Where is menthol mint grown in India?
Mainly in central and western Uttar Pradesh.
How is menthol made from Corn mint?
The oil is chilled until menthol crystals form and are separated.
How do I tell Corn mint from spearmint?
Corn mint flowers sit along the stem; spearmint flowers are in tip spikes.
Can I grow Corn mint at home?
Yes, in a damp pot, where its runners will not invade other plants.
Sources
- Mentha arvensis L. — Plants of the World Online, Kew (search) (accessed 2026)
- Wikidata item Q160585 (Mentha arvensis)
Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.