Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni (commonly referred to as "Stevia"), also known as sweet herb, sweet leaf or honey herb, is a plant variety of the Stevia genus which belongs to the aster (Asteraceae) group. It is a member of the sunflower family.
The Stevia plant is a hardy annual, wind-pollinated herb-like plant which blossoms from August to September. Its seeds are very small and are scattered on the wind thanks to the downy crown of hair.
Stevia Rebaudiana grows as a small bush, which reaches a height of some 40 to 60 cm and sometimes as much as 100 cm. The soft, semi-wooden stems bear alternating leaves with a length of 2 to 3 cm and white blossoms. The leaves contain the steviol glycosides which account for the unique sweetness of this plant.
Growing and cultivation
Growing and cultivation require a great deal of manual work and care. The plant flourishes best when exposed to full sunlight on a relatively lean but not too dry soil as its roots are close to the surface.
The plant which came originally from South America (especially from the highlands in the border area between Brazil and Paraguay) is appreciated for its special features and health benefits. The Stevia plant is now grown all over the world and used as an alternative to sugar, especially in Asia and South America.
Sweetness from the leaves
The unique sweetness of the plant is generated by the eight different steviol glycosides contained in the leaves. The two principal glycosides are stevioside and rebaudioside (Reb A). These molecules have a sweetening capacity which is 250 to 300 times greater than that of sugar. In 1931, French chemists isolated the glycosides for the first time. The dried leaves or extract obtained from the leaves were then used to sweeten foods.
From nature's natural origins to a sweetener
To extract the natural sweeteners present in Stevia, the steviol glycosides, dried Stevia leaves are boiled in hot water. The fluid is then cleaned and filtered before crystallising out and drying, much the same way as in a water filter in the home.
Hermesetas guarantees the most stringent quality standards and naturalness of their Stevia extracts. The Stevia extract for Hermesetas SteviaSweet is produced using the highest quality standards to create the best sugar-like sweet taste.
