The light green colored Luo Han Guo (Siraitia grosvernorii) has been grown for hundreds of years as a vine, mainly in the mountains of Southern China. Also known as "magic fruit" or "longevity fruit", it belongs to the Curcurbitaceae family of plants that includes various cucumbers, squash and melons. It is widely used in China as an ingredient in "cooling drinks or teas". Luo Han Guo is often dried and used in whole or powdered form in traditional foods and beverages.

Luo han guo is harvested in the form of a round green fruit, which becomes brown on drying. It is rarely used in its fresh form, as it is hard to store. Furthermore, it develops a rotten taste on fermentation, which adds to the unwanted flavours already present.

Thus luo han guo is usually dried before further use and are sold in precisely this fashion in Chinese herbal shops. The fruits are slowly dried in ovens, which preserves it and removes most of the unwanted aromas. However, this technique also leads to the formation of several bitter and astringent aromas in the final product. This limits the use of the dried fruits and extracts to the preparation of diluted tea, soup, and as a sweetener for products that would usually have sugar or honey added to them

Nutritional Benefits:

• Analgesic, expectorant, and anitussive properities
• Mogrosides (Triterpene Glycosides) are 200-300 times sweeter than sugar with no bitter aftertaste. It is not metabolized by the body, thus considered non-caloric.
• Low glycemic because it has little or no effect on blood sugar or insulin levels.

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