Monk Fruit Sweetener

Monk fruit, or *luo han guo*, is a small round melon from southern China that has been dried and used to sweeten drinks for centuries. Its sweetness comes from compounds called mogrosides, which are many times sweeter than sugar, so only a little extract is needed.

Our Monk Fruit Sweetener blends monk fruit extract with erythritol, a sweetener made by fermentation. Together they look and pour like sugar and swap spoon for spoon, so you don't need to change your recipes.

How to use monk fruit sweetener

• Chai and coffee: use the same number of spoons you use for sugar. It dissolves fully in hot drinks.
• Desserts: kheer, halwa, custard, shrikhand and lassi.
• Baking: cakes, cookies and muffins, swapping 1:1 by volume. Bakes can brown a little less than with sugar.
• Cold drinks: lemonade, nimbu pani and iced tea. Stir well, or dissolve it in a little warm water first.

What does it taste like?

Clean and sweet, close to sugar. Some people notice a light cooling feeling from the erythritol, most of all in cold drinks and uncooked desserts.

A few practical notes

• Erythritol can feel heavy on the stomach if you eat a lot at once, so start with your usual amount and build up.
• It doesn't caramelise like sugar, so it isn't suited to recipes that need melted sugar, such as caramel or chikki.
• If you follow a medical diet, or are pregnant or taking medicines, please speak to your doctor about sweeteners.

Storage

Keep sealed in a cool, dry place. If it clumps in humid weather, break it up with a dry spoon.

Best before: 12 months from the date of packing.