Stevia

Stevia is a prized herb for its natural sweetness and is used as a sugar substitute. Native to South America, particularly Paraguay and Brazil, this herb belongs to the Asteraceae family and is well-known for its intensely sweet leaves.

The key appeal of stevia lies in its incredibly sweet taste, attributed to the presence of steviol glycosides in its leaves. Despite its intense sweetness, stevia has minimal impact on blood sugar levels, making it an attractive alternative to sugar for those seeking to reduce sugar intake.

Culinarily, stevia leaves are often used fresh or dried to sweeten beverages, desserts, and various culinary recipes. The leaves can be steeped to create a natural, sugar-free sweetener. Extracts derived from stevia leaves, primarily steviol glycosides like stevioside and rebaudioside A, are significantly sweeter than sugar, providing a calorie-free and low-glycemic-index alternative to traditional sweeteners.