Stevia Organic Industries Mulund West, Mumbai, Maharashtra

The form in which stevia is primarily used as a sweetener in Japan is that ofa white powdered extract. In this form it is approximately 200 to 300 times sweeter than sugar (by weight).This white powder is an extract of the sweet glycosides (natural sweetening agents) in the stevia leaf.

The liquid is extracted from the fresh leaves of stevia under the hygienic conditions. No preservatives, or chemical added.

This form of stevia is the herb in its most natural, unrefined state. A leaf picked from a stevia plant and chewed will impart an extremely sweet taste sensation reminiscent of licorice that lasts for quite a while. For stevia to have a more practical application as a tea or sweetener, the leaves must be dried or put through an extraction process, which makes the sweet taste even more potent.

For more of the flavor and sweet constituents of the stevia leaf to be released, drying and crushing is necessary. A dried leaf is considerably sweeter than a fresh one, and is the form of stevia used in brewing herbal tea.Dried stevia leaf may come in bulk or packaged like tea bags. You can also get it finely powdered. It has a greenish color and can be used in a wide variety of foods and beverages, including coffee, applesauce and hot cereals.