Stevia: The Best Sweetener, Ever!
Posted on January 16, 2008 By Joe Fier
What the heck is stevia, and why is it so good?! Many of have never heard of it, or at most possibly passed it while in the supplement section of a natrual foods store. Whatever the case, stevia is the next and upcoming large sugar-alternative. It’s a sweetner that Japan has been using in abundance since the early ’70s. They have been using it in products such as Coca-Cola, added in other food products, and have had it set out for table-use at resturants around the country.
So, what is stevia?
Stevia is a scrub that is found in abundance in the subtropical regions of Central America and South America. Some other names that stevia goes by is sweetleaf and sugarleaf. As the name says, the leaves are where all the flavor is found. After previous generations have found the great sweetening qualities of these stevia leaves (about 300 times the sweetness of sugar), it has been used since. Extracts are taken from these leaves and then produced into one of its many forms: liquid concentrates, crystal form, dried and also fresh stevia leaves.
Technically, stevia is a supplement
As of now, stevia is a natural herb that has not been approved by the FDA. Because of this, stevia is sold at stores as a supplement, not a food sweetener. As a supplement and a sugar alternative, stevia is used by people with Diabetes, obesity, and high-blood pressure because of its very low carbohydrate content, being calorie-free, and its ability to actually increase glucose tolerance. Since stevia has not been approved by the FDA, it cannot be sold in food products as a “sweetener”. Since the FDA has labeled stevia as a supplement, if a company were to produce a stevia sweetened drink, it would be have to be labeled as a supplement drink. Because of this, large health grocers such as Whole Foods and Wild Oats hurt because they cannot offer these alternative sweetened drinks in some of its products. Companies are now working to create a slightly altered version of stevia so it can become FDA approved. We’ll just have to wait it out and see when that time comes. In the mean time, go purchase the packets or its other forms and use it as a sweetener for your own creations!
Experimenting with stevia
The key thing that you need to remember with stevia is that it is about 300 times the sweetness of sugar. Don’t forget how much more that really is! When experimenting with stevia during cooking, always be sure to add small amounts at a time and taste-test everything before moving any further with a recipe. It may seem like a pain to try and learn exactly how much stevia equates to that of sugar, but the benefits of having a calorie-free, all-natural sweetener completely outweighs your long efforts. When using stevia in place of previous sugar-included recipes, try and stick with those that include fruits and dairy products. Generally, stevia mixes really well with these food groups because of its texture. Some simple recipes to start off with are baking a batch of chocolate cookies, making lemonade, creating a variety of types of salsa, soups, and so many others.
Give this simple hot cocoa recipe a shot for starters…
(Makes 4-5 servings)
Ingredients:
- 3 tbsp of cocoa
- 4-5 cups of soymilk or milk
- 1/2 tsp powdered stevia extract
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
Mix the stevia extract and cocoa together in a medium-sized pot. Add 1/2 cup of your choice of milk to make a paste. Work to thin out the paste by adding another 1/2 cup of the milk. While bringing it to a low boil, add either the honey or maple syrup. Boil all of the ingredients for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rest of the milk to your desire of thickness and richness. Add the vanilla and heat the ingredients thoroughly. Be sure to not scorch the cocoa on the bottom of the pan.
Pour, serve, and enjoy!
Photo credit: daxiang
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