Learn Spanish (Latin America): Debes machacar la hierbabuena para preparar el almíbar. - You must muddle the mint to prepare the syrup.

Machacar literally means to crush, pound, or mash. In culinary and bartending contexts, it is the standard verb used for "muddling" herbs or fruit to release their essential oils and flavors.

Is there a difference between hierbabuena and menta?

Yes! While both translate to "mint" in English, menta usually refers to peppermint, which has a sharper, more cooling flavor. Hierbabuena refers to spearmint, which is sweeter and is the standard choice in Latin America for cooking and making drinks like mojitos.

Why do we use para instead of por before preparar here?

We use para here because it expresses the purpose or goal of an action, translating to "in order to" in English. You must muddle the mint in order to prepare the syrup.

What kind of syrup is almíbar? Could I use jarabe instead?

Almíbar refers specifically to a syrup made by dissolving sugar in boiling water (simple syrup), which fits this recipe context perfectly. Jarabe is another word for syrup, but it frequently refers to medicinal syrups (like cough syrup) or thick, commercially processed syrups (like pancake syrup).