When it comes to minty sweets and chewing gum, generally we're faced with two options - spearmint and peppermint. But have you ever wondered what the difference is between the two popular items of confectionary?

Lydia Byron took over family business, Wyldes Sweet Shop in Tamworth, Staffordshire in 2022 - and due to the popularity of fellow small business owner, Spudman, in the town, iss experiencing great success both in store and on social media. She shared a fun fact with her fellowers.

"There are roughly 20 to 30 recognised species of mint within the mentha genus although cross-breeding can occur," she quipped in a TikTok video. In fact, peppermint is one of those cross-breeds - a mixture of spearmint and watermint, according to Lydia.

She continued: "Believe it or not, lemon balm actually counts as a member of the mint family. Both peppermint and spearmint will show up in the sweets we know and love. So what are the main differences?"

Lydia went on to reveal that most mint sweets are peppermint-based as that is the one that is around 40% more menthol-y. "If you have ever had a sweet that makes you have that [mimics cooling feeling in the throat], it's probably because of that. Despite the word peppermint sounding way softer that the word spearmint, peppermint is known for it's very pungent, very sharp taste."