The land of mint...

Armenia isn't only about pomegranates. Mint is another pervasive thing here, and the mint iced tea at Twinings on Abovyan near Sayat Nova is something else. As you can see, they just infuse the water with mint until it's like drinking a stick of Wrigley's spearmint gum. Actually the flavor is a bit more subtle than that. At Studio Cafe (foot of the Cascades) you can ask for the "Mint Fresh". It's not on the menu, but it's fresh mint leaves put in a blender with water. Also simply fantastic. So for those of you who are around in Yerevan, I highly recommend it. For those of you who aren't coming... you can make these at home from your own mint patch. If you don't have one, go to Home Depot or a nursery and buy a small plant, it spreads like a weed if it has sun and some water, so you don't need a green thumb. Most places sell peppermint, spearmint and a third mint - which goes by different names (Mint the Best among others) buy the third mint, it is the typical mint flavor you need for these drinks, as well as tabule and other Armenian dishes. Alternatively, if you find some mint for sale at the Armenian market, then you can also just stick some of those in the ground (again, these need water) and some of them should grow.