Ombalo (pennyroyal, flea mint, flea beetle): what it is, what to replace it with, cultivation features, application

Pennyroyal, or ombalo, is a perennial aromatic herb used by cooks around the world. The plant contains a strong essential oil that contains the toxin pulegone, so consuming the herb in large quantities is not recommended. But because of its beautiful glossy foliage and delicate menthol aroma, many summer residents grow it in their garden as a flower crop.

Description of flea mint

Ombalo mint belongs to the perennial plants of the Lamiaceae family. The variety is small, reaches a height of 30 cm. Glossy, round-shaped leaves are arranged in pairs on small stalks.The plates are wide, wrinkled and curly, covered with small pile on both sides. From June until the first frost, ring-shaped, spherical inflorescences of pink-purple color appear from the shiny dark olive foliage. Due to its strong fruity-lavender aroma, the plant is considered a good honey plant. After flowering, brown fruits appear on it, in the form of nuts. The variety has a high rooting ability, so gardeners often grow ombalo mint in flower beds as a ground cover plant.

Varieties

Ombalo pennyroyal comes in American and European varieties. American mint is an annual plant with small, oblong, glossy leaves that are spaced far apart. The aromatic grass reaches a height of up to 30 cm. Flowering occurs in July and continues until October. Due to its strong odor, ombalo mint is used to kill mosquitoes, fleas and other blood-sucking insects.

European mint is a perennial plant that grows in damp places, along ponds and rivers. The plant is a groundcover with miniature oval leaves and tiny tubular flowers. Blooms from June until the first frost. To be able to distinguish varieties of pennyroyal, you need to know the description and look at the photo.

The most popular are:

Dormouse is a perennial herb that forms a spreading bush, up to 50-60 cm high. The plant is covered with dark green jagged leaves and spherical, lilac-pink inflorescences. Prefers to grow in a well-lit place with fertile, moist soil. The culture is loved by gardeners for its medicinal properties and delicate menthol aroma. Dormouse mint is used to prepare meat and fish dishes, and added to vegetable stews and desserts.It can grow in one place for up to 5 years.

Pennyroyal is a ground cover, perennial plant with creeping long shoots and miniature glossy leaves. In July, small blue-violet flowers with a pronounced aroma appear on it. The spice is used to prepare meat and fish dishes and as an additive to tea. Since pennyroyal pennyroyal looks very decorative, it is often grown in pots, flowerpots, balcony boxes and as a creeping plant in flower beds.

Important! The creeping form of ombalo mint forms a dense green carpet at the expense of long-term flowering, and the erect form, thanks to its long stems, is easy to collect in a bunch and dry for the winter.

Where does ombalo grow?

Ombalo mint is an unpretentious plant that grows in warm climates. In nature, it can often be found along the banks of ponds and rivers. The differences between ombalo and other varieties are noticeable even from the photo.

Peppermint:

Ombalo:

Important! When growing ombalo mint in a personal plot, the planting site should be moist and located in full sun.

The use of pennyroyal in cooking

Due to its high content of essential oils and pleasant menthol smell, ombalo mint is used in cooking as a spicy spice. To prepare the seasoning, the entire plant is not used, but only the upper leaves and aromatic inflorescences. Many chefs around the world use ombalo mint to prepare national dishes:

In Armenia, mint is used in the making of cheese.
In Georgia, it is part of the seasoning khmeli-suneli.
Turkmen cooks add flea mint to lamb dishes.
In England, ombalo mint is considered the most popular spice; it is present in all sauces and toppings.

What is the scent of ombalo mint?

Ombalo mint has a delicate fruity-lavender aroma and a light menthol taste. Since mint contains the toxin pulegone, it should not be consumed in large quantities. Due to its damaging effects on the liver, the spice can turn from a medicinal plant into a poisonous one.

Important! In order not to cause irreparable harm to the body, ombalo mint should be used in moderation.

Where can you add ombalo flea mint?

This spice is ideal for cooking meat dishes. In dried form, ombalo mint is often added to sauces, soups, bean and vegetable dishes, lobio and risotto. Confectioners use the seasoning when preparing sweets, pastries and desserts.

You can’t do without ombalo mint in winemaking. It is perfect for flavoring liqueurs, tinctures, wines and carbonated soft drinks. Ombalo mint is used to make teas and herbal teas.

Important! Georgian chefs add spice to the famous tkemali sauce, because without the mint flavor it will not be as flavorful.

How can I replace flea mint ombalo?

All varieties of mint have a distinct minty aroma. Therefore, if ombalo is not available during cooking, it can be easily replaced with other varieties of mint that are on hand.

Useful properties of pennyroyal

Ombalo pennyroyal is a medicinal plant. It contains flavonoids, tannins, saponins, carotene, vitamin C and essential oils. Since flea mint can not only enrich the body with beneficial microelements, but also cause harm, before consuming it is necessary to consult a specialist.

Use of ombalo in folk medicine

The aerial part of the plant has antibacterial, antiviral and disinfectant properties. Therefore, ombalo mint has found wide use in folk medicine.

Thanks to the herb you can get rid of:

bronchial asthma;
pulmonary diseases;
flatulence;
gastrointestinal diseases.

What does pennyroyal help with?

Ombalo mint has an antispasmodic effect: relieves spasms, improves intestinal secretion. A decoction from the plant normalizes the metabolic process, strengthens the cardiovascular system, and relieves nervous tension.

Ombalo mint oil has a warming property. Therefore, it is often used by massage therapists in the treatment of muscle and joint inflammation. Since peppermint oil can remove uric acid, it is used to relieve pain from rheumatism and arthritis.

Tea with pennyroyal

Due to its high menthol content, mint tea has an expectorant effect. When used in moderation, it facilitates breathing, removes phlegm and relieves symptoms of flu and colds.

Due to its mild, relaxing properties, ombalo mint tea is often used to relieve muscle and nervous tension, eliminate stress and insomnia. In order for the drink to have a positive effect on your health, it must be brewed correctly and taken strictly according to the instructions. 1-2 tsp. dried mint is added to a liter of boiling water, covered with a lid and removed for 10 minutes to infuse. For medicinal purposes, consume no more than 3 cups per day. To prepare a tonic drink, add several fresh mint leaves to freshly brewed tea. This tea will be aromatic and very healthy.

Important! Doctors do not recommend drinking ombalo mint tea for children under 7 years of age.

Use of ombalo herb in everyday life

Ombalo mint has proven itself not only in cooking and folk medicine, but also in cosmetology. It is used as an ingredient in the production of professional cosmetics and home skin care products. Ombalo mint can be found in masks, shampoos and rinses. Thanks to its tonic, nourishing and moisturizing properties, hair acquires a beautiful shiny appearance, becomes thick and silky. With regular use, you can permanently get rid of seborrhea and strengthen the hair follicles.

In everyday life, ombalo mint is used to kill insects. To prepare the solution, fresh crushed or dry leaves are poured with water and left to infuse. The working solution is poured into a spray bottle and areas where insects accumulate are treated. Since essential oils are toxic, the disposal process is quick and effective.

Since ombalo mint exudes a pleasant fruity lavender aroma, the infusion can be used to refresh hands after meals and wash floors. The leaves are used to rub furniture; after cleaning, the apartment is filled with a soft, pleasant mint aroma.

Restrictions and contraindications

Like any plant, ombalo mint has not only beneficial properties, but also has contraindications and can cause side effects. Ombalo mint is not recommended for use by pregnant and lactating women, children, people with individual intolerance, uterine bleeding and chronic liver and kidney diseases.

Before consuming ombalo mint, you must remember that the plant is poisonous. If consumed in large quantities, the spice can cause irreparable harm to the body, even death.

If the following first signs of poisoning appear, you must immediately call an ambulance:

nausea, vomiting;
severe pain in the epigastric region;
increased body temperature;
excitation;
headache;
visual hallucinations;
hearing loss;
uterine bleeding;
increased blood pressure;
shortness of breath, difficulty breathing.

Important! When consuming 10 ml of mint oil, a moderate to high degree of toxicity appears; after consuming 15 ml, death occurs within 1-3 hours.

Features of flea beetle reproduction

Mint ombalo is an unpretentious plant. It can be propagated by seeds and vegetatively:

Seeds. Sowing is done in mid-April. Mint seeds are mixed with sand and sown in moist soil to a depth of 2-3 cm. Sprinkle sand or nutrient soil on top. After the emergence of seedlings, thinning is carried out, leaving an interval between seedlings of at least 15-20 cm. If ombalo mint is grown in seedlings, the plant is transferred to a permanent place in the phase of 2-3 true leaves.
Cuttings. Cuttings are carried out in spring and August. Cuttings 10 cm long are cut from a healthy plant. The harvested material is buried in wet sand at an acute angle and covered with a protective film. After the roots appear, the cuttings are ready to be transplanted to a permanent location. The plant is planted to a depth of 5 cm, with an interval of 10-15 cm.
Important! Ombalo mint cuttings take root well in water.

Landing rules

Ombalo mint is unpretentious to grow and care for. But in order for the spice to feel comfortable, you need to create favorable conditions for it. Ombalo mint prefers warm climates, therefore it is widespread in the south of Russia.When grown in regions with an unstable climate, the planting site is located in open sun. The soil must be fertile, as on depleted soil the leaves become discolored and flowering becomes short and short-lived.

Important! Before planting pennyroyal, you need to familiarize yourself with the rules of care and cultivation, beneficial properties and contraindications, and view photos and videos.

Preparing the site for planting occurs in the fall. To do this, dig up the soil, remove weeds and rhizomes. If the soil is poor, rotted compost or manure is added during digging.

Despite the fact that ombalo mint is a heat-loving plant, it can withstand temperatures as low as -23 °C. But experienced gardeners advise that in order to protect young shoots from frost, they are covered with agrofibre or mulch for the winter.

Features of cultivation

To get a beautiful, useful plant, it needs proper care. Watering of ombalo mint is carried out after the top layer of soil has dried. Irrigation should be frequent and moderate. When growing in waterlogged soil, mint will suffer from fungal and viral diseases. If there is a lack of water, ombalo mint will grow and develop poorly.

After each watering, loosening and removal of weeds is carried out, since grass greatly depletes the soil and is a carrier of diseases and insect pests.

Pests and diseases

If the care instructions are not followed, spices can suffer from diseases and insect pests. In order to start treatment in a timely manner, you need to know what causes ombalo mint and look at photos of pests. The following ailments often appear on spicy crops:

Rust - a disease that appears with frequent watering, high nitrogen content in the soil and in cold summers.The disease can be recognized by the appearance of red spots on the leaf plate. The fight consists of carrying out preventive measures: maintaining crop rotation, spring treatment with fungicides, changing the place of growth every 5 years.
Peppermint flea beetle - small, light brown insects appear in the first half of summer. Females lay eggs in the root zone, and the hatched larvae first eat small roots, then crawl to the surface and quickly destroy the entire above-ground part. The drug “Actellikt” will help fight the pest. If treatment is not carried out, the ombalo mint dies.
The leaf beetle is an insect that appears on the first warm days, when the night temperature is not lower than + 14 °C. The beetles feed on foliage and lay eggs in inflorescences. You can get rid of the pest with pepper infusion. To do this, dilute 150 g of ground hot pepper in 10 liters of water.

When and how to collect flea beetles

Ombalo mint is harvested in mid-July. In order for the plant to retain its healing properties, you need to know the collection rules:

The young plant is not cut, as it does not contain a sufficient amount of essential oils and does not have medicinal properties.
It is best to collect ombalo mint on a clear morning day.
The herb is not broken off, but cut to a third of its length with a sharp knife, as this will allow for a second harvest at the end of summer.
Only healthy plants have healing properties. If the foliage is faded, white, or with mechanical damage, the grass is not suitable for collection.

How to properly dry pennyroyal

The collected ombalo mint is placed in small bunches. They are hung in a shady, well-ventilated area.If the task is to preserve freshness for a long time, the bunches are wrapped in a damp cloth and put away in a dark, cool place. When collecting leaves, they are sorted out before drying, washed and laid out in a thin layer on paper. To ensure even drying, the leaves are stirred from time to time.

Important! The drying process should not be accelerated in the oven or in the open sun, as all the medicinal properties of the ombalo mint will disappear along with the aroma.

Readiness for storage is determined by the crunch of the stem or leaf. So that the raw materials do not take up much space, they are crushed, placed in containers and stored in a dark place. The shelf life of dried mint is no more than a year.

The leaves can also be frozen. They are washed, dried, wrapped in foil and put in the freezer. In this form, it retains its beneficial properties, taste and aroma. Shelf life 1-2 years.

Conclusion

Ombalo mint is not only a healthy, aromatic spice, but also a beautiful flowering plant. It is used in cooking, folk medicine, cosmetology and landscape design. If mint is used as a spice for dishes, then it must be remembered that excessive use can lead to irreparable consequences.