What's your favorite Christmas flavor?

Today let's talk about "Peppermint" since Christmas is associated with candy canes.

This peppermint flavored treat was first made to be a part of Christmas around 1670 when a choirmaster at Cologne Cathedral, Germany handed this candy out to children at their living Nativity.

Candy canes didn't come to the U.S, until 1847 when a German-Swedish immigrant decorated a small blue spruce with paper ornaments and candy canes in Wooster, Ohio.

This was the start of something big. And today Bryan, Ohio is considered the candy cane capital of the world since it's home to the Spangles Candy Co., one of the largest manufacturers of candy canes.

So why do we think of peppermint and candy canes this time of year???

Well . . . mint leaves leave a cool sensation in the mouth and Christmas is associated with snow and ice, this seems to make sense as the flavor of snow.

The white of the cane has been known to represent the purity of Jesus Christ and the red stripes are for the blood He shed when He died on the cross. And the peppermint flavor representing the hyssop plant that was used for purifying the Bible.

And that peppermint flavor is in everything from cookies to pies, to fudge, ice cream, brownies and cheesecake.

But what exactly are the benefits of this Christmas flavor???

Now mind you . . . I'm not talking about all the sugar added to this little mint . . .

I'm just talking about the mint itself.

Peppermint is an excellent anti-inflammatory agent, especially if we're eating foods that don't agree with our tummy. It works well for indigestion.

Peppermint also has a calming effect and is used to treat flatulence, menstrual pain, diarrhea, nausea, depression-related anxi