Processed
Stevia
Stevia culinary sweeteners are refined extracts of Stevia rebaudiana leaves—intensely sweet glycosides sold as powders, packets, and liquid drops. Used to sweeten drinks and recipes with minimal bulk sugar. Distinct from bulk sugar; conversion charts required. Avoid overdosing bitter notes. Blends with erythritol improve texture in baking.
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Breeds & varieties
A sample of named types with their own origin and culinary profiles.
Characteristics
Preparations
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Nutrition and pairings
Nutrition
Typical values per 100 g edible portion. Nutrient names open the reference page.
Nutrition Facts
Per 100 g edible portion
Amount per 100 g
- Total Fat 3.7 g
- Saturated Fat 0.8 g
- Trans Fat 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat 0.6 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat 2.1 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Sodium 20 mg
- Salt 0.05 g
- Total Carbohydrate 72.1 g
- Dietary Fibre 15.5 g
- Total Sugars 1.2 g
- Complex / starch 2 g
- Protein 11.4 g
- Water 5.4 g
- Energy 336 kcal
- Water 5.4 g
- Ash 7.4 g
- Carbohydrates 72.1 g
- Protein 11.4 g
- Plant Protein 11.4 g
- Fat 3.7 g
- Saturated Fat 0.8 g
- Monounsaturated Fat 0.6 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat 2.1 g
- Vitamins 80.5 mg
- Minerals 1514 mg
- Major Minerals 1510 mg
- Trace Minerals 3.6 mg
- Iron 3.6 mg
- Salt 0.05 g
Vitamins
vitamin-a: 80 · vitamin-e: 0.5 ·
Minerals
Sodium: 20 · Potassium: 850 · Calcium: 460 · Iron: 3.6 · Magnesium: 180 ·
Dried stevia leaf is a plant material used to sweeten, but it is not 85 g of table sugar. Shade-dried leaf (Abou-Arab and colleagues, the figures later drying studies still quote) is about 5.4 g water, 11.4 g protein, 3.7 g fat, 7.4 g ash, and 72.1 g carbohydrate of which 15.5 g is fibre. Sweetness is steviol glycosides, which are not counted as sugars. Energy is 4 kcal/g of the available carbohydrate and protein, 9 kcal/g of the fat, and 2 kcal/g of the fibre: 336 kcal, not the 400 kcal of an equal weight of sucrose.
History
Guaraní peoples used stevia leaves as a natural sweetener.
Japanese food industry commercialised stevia extracts.
Major markets approved high-purity stevia extracts for mainstream foods and tabletop packets.