Magic fruit-Luo Han Guo, also known as momordica grosvenori, is a member of the curcubitaceae. This magic fruit is well known for its sweet taste and antioxidant (ORAC 4650). However, its sweet taste does not come from any type of sugar but comes mainly from its special compounds called mogrosides. Mogrosides have 5 derivatives and numbered 1 to 5. The pure mixed mogrosides is 300 times as sweet as sugar. These unique compounds make Luo Han Guo a diabetic friendly fruit.



Luo Han Guo mainly grows in mountain areas in Guangxi province. Mountains of Guangxi province provide perfect retainer and the misty environment prevents the fruit from direct exposure to the sun. The all year round warm climate of Guangxi provides the perfect cultivation environment for the fruit to grow.



So how does this fruit get its name-Luo Han Guo? First, people named this fruit after its founders. This fruit was found by monks in the 13th century. The Chinese pronunciation for monks is Luo Han. Second, the Guo means fruit. As a result, the name for this fruit means monks’ fruit.

After using Luo Han Guo for hundreds of years, people realized and found out that this fruit not only can be used as a sweetener for tea or cooking, but also has some medical functions such as relieve cough, constipation and diabetes symptoms.


 Even though Luo Han Guo has been used in Eastern societies for hundreds of years, not until 20th century this fruit had been noted in the western societies. This monks’ fruit was mentioned in an English unpublished manuscript in 1938 written by Professor G.W. Groff and Hoh Hin Cheung. Luo Han Guo was described to be frequently used as a main ingredient in the “cooling” drink. It is believed that this type of drinks consumed to counteract hot weather, fever, or disorders described in the tradition as warm or hot in nature.

 Frederick Coville, a botanist of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, showed Groff a Luo Han Guo fruit which he bought from a local Chinese store in Washington, D.C. in 1917.

This information showed that at the time the U.S. Department of Agriculture was already aware of the existence of Luo Han Guo in the U.S. market.

 The researches of Luo Han Guo started in the 1970s. In 1975, C. H. Lee published a research report on the sweetness components of Luo Han Guo. Tsunematsu Takemoto started to develop highly concentrated extracts using as a sweetener in 1980s in Japan.

 In 1995 the Procter & Gamble patented a process, which removed the interfering aromas of Luo Han Guo juice extract.

 From May 24, 2007 to November 20, 2008, the Cola-Cola company filed total 35 patents related to use Luo Han Guo and its mogrosides extracts’ as a natural no-calorie or low-calories high potency sweetener.