The taste of a dessert I ate in Istanbul, Turkey, stayed vivid in my memory for years afterwards: it was made with chocolate, sour cherries and a tiny, intensely flavoured leaf that was familiar but at the same time puzzling. I asked the waiter about it, and he said it was mint.
I did not get the Latin name of this variety, nor did I buy a plant when I had the chance (it was available in all the produce markets we visited), so I do not know what type of mint it was – all I know is that it was the best I had tasted.
You would not know by shopping in Hong Kong’s supermarkets, but there are hundreds of types of mint, and not all of them are created equal.
Most markets carry only one type of the fresh herb – peppermint – although the label will describe it simply as “mint”.
Stores specialising in Southeast Asian produce are better, offering two or three varieties, but if you want more, you will have to grow your own, which (so I have read) is fairly easy, requiring only a sunny spot and lots of water.