Saturday, January 31, 2009

Lo Ha Guo adds Sweetness


NATURE MAKES GOOD

Asian Cuisine reinvents Gazpacho

By Mark Isaac Thyss
Garden of Healing®

No, you don’t have to travel to Singapore to get gazpacho made with Buddha’s fruit. Just push Stevia aside for a moment and get to know Luo Han Kuo.

We’re not asking you to abandon your Xylitol, but it would be wise to stay clear of Aspartame.

And indeed, visit Singapore if you need heart and brain surgery, a health screening and cancer treatment. Why? Singapore is a key destination when it comes to world-class health-care services, and if you want to partake in what is called ‘medical tourism’, go there.

No, this is not a story about travel or off-shore surgery, but something far sweeter, Lohanguo Siraitia Fruit.

What do Aspartame, sugar, Stevia leaf, Xylitol and Lohanguo have in common?

You have a craving for them.

Where they diverge is the part of this story you really need to know.

Firstly, do steer clear of Aspartame. If you don’t know why; find out. And, do check out Lo Han Kuo.

The good news is you have choices, and the possibilities are growing in number. Let’s talk about Lohanguo fruit.

As previously mentioned, you can find it in exotic places like Singapore at the Red White & Pure Restaurant in Vivo City. They make their gazpacho soup with Lohanguo. But, you can also now keep it on your kitchen counter and use it to sweeten teas, and a variety of other foods and beverages too.

Luo han guo is a very sweet fruit found in Southern China. It is low-calorie and extracts of it are now being marketed as a sweetener.

The fruit extract is nearly 300 times sweeter than sugar and has been used as a natural sweetener in China for nearly a millennium due to its flavor and lack of food energy. It has also been used in traditional Chinese medicine.

Lo Han Kuo is a vine cultivated in special gardens cleared in the mountain forests. The plant is rarely found in the wild and has been cultivated for hundreds of years.

It is grown primarily in the southwestern Chinese province of Guangxi, as well as in Guangdong, Guizhou, Hunan, and Jiangxi.

These mountainous regions give the plants the correct amount of shade and often are surrounded by mists; thusly protecting the plants from the ravages of the sun.

The plant is most prized for its sweet fruits, which are used for medicinal purposes, and as a sweetener. Luohan guo fruits are generally sold in dried form and powder, and traditionally used in herbal tea or soup. They are used for respiratory ailments and reputed to aid longevity, hence the name ‘longevity fruit’.

Lohanguo Siraitia Fruit is round and smooth. It has a yellow-brownish or green-brownish color, and is covered by fine hairs. All components, seeds, pulp, and juice of the fruit are intensely sweet, and their nature is cool and non-toxic. The fruit can act as a remedy for sun stroke, wet the lungs, remove phlegm, stop cough and aid defecation.

Please note: there are a number of spellings that apply to the fruit, all used above; namely, Lo Han Kuo, Luohanguo, Lohanguo Siraitia Fruit, Luohan guo, etc.

Lo Han Kuo can be found in powered form and we highly recommend trying it out in your favorite beverages.

If international restaurants (featuring healthy food combining the best of Spa Cuisine and Traditional Chinese Medicine) are using it, then it’s worth a shot - or a smidgen.

Remember, it’s really really sweet, and unlike Aspartame, really good for you too.


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