Chocolate mint is a Mentha piperia cultivar which has a hint of a chocolatey taste, leading many people to compare it to peppermint patties. Like many mints, chocolate mint is very easy to grow, and it will spread readily in the garden if it is given a free hand. Many garden suppliers carry chocolate mint along with other flavored mint cultivars, like orange or lemon mint, and it can also be grown from seeds or cuttings.

Like all mints, chocolate mint is characterized by a classically square stem and simple, lightly serrated leaves. Depending on the weather conditions where chocolate mint is grown, the leaves may be a dark green to purple color, often streaked with darker color. Chocolate mint has a strong minty aroma which has a faint hint of chocolate, making it a very pleasant plant to have around the garden, even if you don't eat it. It is also a great plant for a bird or butterfly garden, since these creatures are very attracted to mint.

This plant has two stages of growth. In the early spring, the plant produces flowers, and in the summer, the plant starts to send out shoots and runners. If chocolate mint is allowed to grow unchecked, it can become an unruly groundcover, and it has a slightly vine-like growth habit, so it can climb trees and shrubs. Many gardeners like to pinch off the heads to encourage a more bushy growth and to keep the plant under control.

There are a number of ways to use chocolate mint in cooking. Many people like to use it in herbal tisanes, for example, and it can also be used as a garnish on salads, roasts, desserts, and a myriad of other dishes. You can also utilize chocolate mint in desserts; it can be added to sorbets and cakes, for example. Chocolate mint can also make a very interesting star ingredient in mint sauce for Southeast Asian food, and it pairs well with spicy food.

In addition to being grown in the garden, chocolate mint can also do well indoors, as long as it has a sunny spot. The plant prefers moist, but not waterlogged, soil. If you are growing chocolate mint in a container, either indoors or outdoors, pinch it back to keep the plant growing evenly. Also remember that you do not need to use all of the mint while it is fresh; you can dry or freeze chocolate mint to use later.