The Spice is Right #1 - Ancient Spices

For the first time EVER, I've joined a food blogging event. Barbara announced The Spice is Right in March, giving us a nice time limit to join in for April. This months theme being Ancient Spices, and our interpertation of it.
I must admit, I don't have aspice I reflect on as ancient as in my ancient memories. And I haven't been keeping spices for an eternity as I've only lived out of my mums for a few years, and on my own for even less time. (First shacking up with my sister, who took her half of the spices with her). So my oldest spice in the cupboard might just be a month or atleast a few, old.
I was racking my brain trying to figure out which spice to use as my ancient spice. So I surfed the net trying to find inspiration of what to interpret as an ancient spice.
For me ancient spices are pure. It's the simplest flavour, that can change everything in the recipe if you leave it out. And at once I thought of something, mint.
Mint can dominate a dish without any effort, and the first time I really noticed how much was when I first tasted a Mojito. I was with my mumat a tapas place and she ordered me a mojito as a dessert drink. I was blown away by the taste! The lime incorporated with the sugar and especially the mint makes this drink feel more like a sensation than an alcoholic bevarage and done right you wont even know the alcohol (except it's subtle sting) until you're getting tipsy.

Mojito
4 cl light rom
4 cl sugarstock*
½ lime
mint
soda water
crushed ice

Start with making the "sugarstock". take equal parts sugar and water, and heat the mixture up in a pan, stiring constantly until all the sugar is dissolved. Let it cool.
In the 4 cl of sugarwater mixture, add half a lime in slices, and about a hand full of mint leaves (fresh!). Crush the lime and mint in the sugar, and taste it to make sure it's the right amount of mint. The mint varies so it's hard to say the exact amount but it should be a perfect blend of lime and mint in the flavour.
Fill the glass with crushed ice and then pour the 4 cl of rom on top. End with
poring sodawater in the glass. I'd say to fill it up but that depends on the glass, so be sure to taste it before adding to much.
Sip it while sitting in the basking sun. Ever so enjoyable!!


history about Mint
a bread of mint (there are loads of different ones) was found in ancient egyptian graves (anno 1200-600 b.c), unfortunetly it doesn't grow wild in egypt, so it's assumed that it was cultivated.
Later it's been used alot in medical researches in Europe and around 1700 it was added to the London farmacy corporation.

**EDIT I noticed a bit late that Barbara don't enclose fresh leaveds as spices and more as herbs, I don't really know what the difference is (blame the blonde hair or the fact that I'm a Swede, most people already seem to think we're daft...).
If Barbara won't accept this as an entry I'll *try* to think of a new one before the time is up, but no promises can be made.
And I must add, a Mojito was the perfect birthday gift to myself!!!