The wonderful qualities of the monk fruit

By Michelle Liew Tsui-Lin

Luo Han Guo. A fruit of benevolence and needless to say, great benefits.

Some may not be familiar with its name, but the monk fruit has been an indispensable part of the lives of the people who embrace the Buddhist faith.

I am not Buddhist myself, but do attest to the many health benefits it has. This after seeing how my husband has had numerous coughs alleviated by it.

It is also a part of Buddhist culture to be held in regard and cherished.

I wax a little lyrical by this coarse looking, though healthily powerful fruit with a little epulaeryu attached to the head photo of this article.

Luo Han Guo, or the Monk Fruit, is a member of the gourd family that is native to Southern China and Thailand.

Known as La Han Qua in Vietnamese, it has other primarily Buddhist names of the arhat fruit or longevity fruit, owing to the fact that the health benefits that it has do lengthen life.

The vine on which this lovely fruit grows attains a length of 3 to 5 meters. Round, about 5 to 7 cm in diameter, the fruit is sometimes mistaken as a mangosteen.

The germination of the fruit takes several months, much slower than others fruits. Records from the Chinese province of Guangxi mention its growth and cultivation.

Its home is primarily Longjiang Town in Yongfu County, which has taken on the name of the Home of the Luohanguo Fruit.

Luohanguo is consumed owing to its literally sweet nature and for the general goodness of health.

Sweetners

The fruit is naturally sweet, so many swear by its ability to help one manage weight. The sweet taste of the fruit comes from monogrosides, a chemical compound that gives the fruit its sweet taste. Sweeteners like Monk Fruit In The Raw and Nectresse are made from Monk fruit extract, which is 300 times sweeter than sugar.

The fruit is often boiled until a concentrated liquid or the extract forms. This is used as a substitute for sugar.

Herbal Teas

Some smash the fruit and put the tea in soup stock bags to be brewed and consumed. Others, like my better half, boil and drink the sweet liquid that is produced after it bursts on its own.

The tea has curative properties that many will swear by, as this recipe for the tea will show.

Herbal soup

Some would boil the fruit with other ingredients like chicken, carrots or pork. The resulting rich soup is a staple at dinner. An example is this recipe for luohan guo soup with diakon carrot and pork.

If it is not already very obvious that monk fruit has unarguable health benefits, it is time to lay the cards on the table.

These benefits might just persuade one to grab the fruit from supermarkets or specialty Asian stores.

Lowers Fever

Those who have experienced the benefits of the monk fruit will attest to its ability to lower body heat.

My husband often gets coughs and fevers resulting from such heat and the boiled fruit helps to lower his body temperature to a good level of comfort.

Weight management

Although it is very much sweeter than sugar, the monk fruit contains none of the calories sugar does. The fruit has been a secret weapon for weight management for the Chinese for centuries.

Such sweeteners help diabetics who cannot tolerate sugar as it has a low gylcemic index.. The fruit resolves the malnourishment that results in hair loss.

Lung and spleen

It is a naturally cooling fruit, which enters the easily heated meridians of the lung and spleen and helps to reduce the heat within these organs. Dry coughs and diseases like acute bronchitis, tonsilitis and gastritis are better treated. It prevents heatstroke in hotter climes.

Reduces constipation

The fruit also regulates bowel movements and relieves the symptoms of constipation, thereby also detoxifying the body.

Other uses

The root of the tree can treat skin infections such as ringworm, carbuncles and boils. while the hair effectively treats wounds.It also contains beneficial antioxidants.

Generally speaking, the fruit is harmless. However it has to be consumed bearing a few things in mind.

The cooling effect

Practitioners of traditional Chinese Medicine do not recommend too much of the fruit for a person whose body tends to have less heat. The result might be a dry cough. The fruit extract should preferably be accompanied by other drinks.

Affects appetite

The fruit can be excessively sweet for some. The sweetness can reduce one’s appetite, for better or worse.

I include an epulaeryu poem in dedication to this little fruit. An epulaeryu is a 33 syllable poem with 7 syllables in the first line, 5 in the second and so on in this pattern:

7-5-7-5-5-3-1

It was constructed by Joseph Spence Sr who visited various parts of the world in search of different cuisine. It ends with an exclamation mark to indicate the author’s love for the food.

Fruit of benevolence

Fruit of good to often bless,

Imbibed drink to quell,

Dousing liquid to give rest,

A healing fount, some tell

Benevolence cools

To comfort

ah!

A fruit that benefits, do give it a try. Until then, have a happy weekend!

Original Work

Michelle Liew Tsui-Lin

All Rights Reserved.