Luo Han Guo: The sweetest fruit in the world

The Luo Han Guo (also called monk fruit) is called the "sweetest fruit in the world". You can find pictures and information about the sweet fruit here.

Luo Han Guo fruit is said to be three hundred times sweeter than sugar (Siraitia grosvenorii) also known as monk fruit or South Chinese fruit. Anyone who has never heard of this plant should not be alone, because except in southern China or areas in northern Thailand where the plant is native, the Luo Han Guo fruit is more likely unknown. The one about the cucurbits (Cucurbitaceae) The plant that belongs to us appeared a hundred years ago, but remained largely unknown. Their inimitable sweetness is said to be in the pulp and is based on special chemical ingredients. Here you can find out what else there is to know about this unknown superfruit Luo Han Guo.

1. Luo Han Guo: The sweet little one

The Luo Han Guo fruit grows like a grapevine. The plant reaches a height of three to five meters and has heart-shaped leaves. For optimal growth, the plant should be able to support itself on a trellis or a vine arbor. The actual fruits are up to 7 cm in size and change their color from green to brown depending on the degree of ripeness. In general, the cultivation is associated with little effort and does not require any special knowledge. Some dealers already have seeds delivered to Germany. If frost-free overwintering is guaranteed and you acquire both sexes of the dioecious plant, nothing stands in the way of your own cultivation.

2. Luo Han Guo: preparation of vegetable sugar

The fruits are processed quickly as they start to rot immediately after harvest. They are also not eaten raw, but carefully cooked in the oven until they turn black. Then the fruits are halved and poured over with hot water. After about five minutes, the water is skimmed off. What remains is a sweet juice, the end product of the Luo Han Guo. By the way, the Chinese attribute healing powers to the fruit. It is said to help against heat stroke, cough, phlegm and digestive problems and is also called the "fruit of life".

3. Luo Han Guo: Industrial Uses

Due to its irresistible sweetness, the Luo Han Guo is used as a sugar substitute in many foreign products and is also suitable for diabetics. However, their use as a sweetener is not yet permitted in the EU, even if the approval process is already ongoing. The demand for plant-based sweetener alternatives is also gaining increasing approval in Germany and will remain an important topic in the future. Because the synthetic sugar previously contained in many end products is significantly more unhealthy than previously known herbal sweeteners such as honey, Stevia or agave syrup.

4. Luo Han Guo: Alternative to sugar and stevia

If you compare the Luo Han Guo fruit with, for example Stevia, some striking differences become apparent. While stevia needs a rather tropical climate and can therefore only be grown in certain areas of India, Mönchs Frucht is far less satisfied with it. Compared to stevia cultivation, the Luo Han Guo is rather unproblematic and could also find its way into our latitudes.

Unfortunately, the fruit has not yet found its way into our German supermarkets or gardens, but this is probably only a matter of time.

In addition to the monk fruit, there may be numerous other ones unknown types of fruitthat we would like to introduce to you.