Peppermint has a strong sweet smell and a warm pungent taste with a cooling aftertaste. The leaves are typically used fresh as a culinary herb, and the flowers are dried and used to flavor candy, desserts, beverages, salads, and teas.

Peppermint oil and leaves have a cooling effect when used topically for muscle pain, nerve pain, relief from itching, and can also be used as an effective remedy for nausea and digestive issues. The main components of peppermint oil is menthol (40.7%) and menthone (23.4%).