Luo Han Guo: The sweetest fruit in the world

The Luo Han Guo (also called monk fruit) bears the title "Sweetest fruit in the world". Pictures and information about the sweet fruit can be found here.

The Luo Han Guo fruit is said to be three hundred times sweeter than sugar (Siraitia grosvenorii) also known as monk fruit or South China 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 ones about the cucurbits (Cucurbitaceae) However, the plant belonging to it appeared here 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. Find out what else you need to know about this unknown superfruit Luo Han Guo here.

1. Luo Han Guo: The cute little one

The Luo Han Guo fruit grows like a grapevine. The plant reaches a height of between three and 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 color from green to brown depending on the degree of ripeness. In general, the cultivation is linked with little effort and requires no special knowledge. Individual dealers already have seeds delivered to Germany. If a frost-free hibernation 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 the vegetable sugar

The fruits are processed quickly, as they begin to rot immediately after harvesting. They are also not eaten raw, but carefully cooked in the oven until they turn black. Then the fruits are halved and poured 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. The Chinese, by the way, attribute healing powers to the fruit. It is said to help against heat stroke, coughing, phlegm and digestive problems and is also called the "fruit of life".

3. Luo Han Guo: Industrial uses

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

4. Luo Han Guo: Alternative to sugar and stevia

Comparing the Luo Han Guo fruit with for example Stevia, some striking differences become apparent. While stevia requires a more tropical climate and can therefore only be grown in certain areas of India, Mönchs Frucht is satisfied with significantly less. 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 are many more you may have unknown fruits, which we would like to introduce to you.