sweetleaf plant (stevia rebaudiana)

bought this sweetleaf plant for $5.00 from a farm in lim chu kang. the farm also sells the washed and dried leaves from the same plant.

it is claimed that the leaves and stems are ten times sweeter than sugar. the advantages are that they have almost no calories and they do no have the after-taste of artificial sweeteners.

the natural element stevioside, which is found in the leaves and stems, will enhance the flavour of any food that needs sweetening.

the chief consumer of stevia in the world is japan. there has been concern about its use in usa, europe and other countries. according to one report, it is banned in hong kong and singapore. according to the ministry of environment (s'pore), "the use of stevia in food products will be approved in singapore until its safety has been fully established and recognised by international bodies, such as jecfa."

however, as a result of further research, stevia is gaining more acceptance throughout the world.