Stevia
A small South American leaf many times sweeter than sugar, with no sugar in it. A little sweetens a whole cup.
How Ayurveda reads stevia
- Part used
- Leaf
Reviewed by the Vapika team.
In the tradition
Stevia isn't an Ayurvedic herb. It comes from Paraguay and Brazil, where the Guaraní people have sweetened their drinks with it for centuries. In India it is grown in Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and the south, and is sometimes called meethi tulsi, though it is not a tulsi.
How we read it
Because the classical texts don't describe stevia, this page gives it no rasa, guṇa or vīrya. By taste, it is intensely sweet, with a slightly bitter aftertaste.
How we use it
We use a small amount of dried stevia leaf in our Arjuna & Hibiscus Kahwa, to soften the tartness of hibiscus and amla without adding sugar.
Stevia in our blends
From the texts: Not described in the classical Ayurvedic texts.
For learning, not diagnosis. If you are pregnant, nursing or on medication, please speak to your doctor first.