Stevia Leaves, from Paraguay Loose Tea,

The homeland of stevia, belonging to the Asteraceae family, is Paraguay and Brazil, and the plant is often referred to as the "sweet herb of Paraguay" or "honey leaf.". The main purpose of cultivation of this plant is for steviol glycosides, the amount of which ranges from 4-20% (average content of 10%) of dry matter of leaves and is dependent on thermal conditions and harvest time. Dried and powdered stevia leaves are 20-30 times sweeter than sucrose. Among the sweet glycosides, the most important is stevioside (about 65%) and rebaudioside A (about 25%), differing in their sweetening potential and taste. The most valuable is rebaudioside A, devoid of bitterness and aftertaste and with the highest sweetening power.