The Origins of Lakanto
The story of Lakanto begins with the monk fruit, but it was Japanese company Saraya that brought this unsuspecting fruit to the world stage in 1995. To develop the perfect combination of sweetness and flavour, Saraya evaluated a number of different plants that contained natural sweetening agents. The search ended in Guilin, China by rediscovering a hidden feature in the monk fruit (link to monk fruit article).
Monk fruit has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine, but was largely unknown outside of Chinese culture, leaving many unanswered questions about its sweetening compound. Saraya began a collaboration with a local university in Guilin to research the sweetening potential of the luo han guo fruit and ended up producing the best tasting natural sugar alternative. The same one we use in all Lakanto products.
While zero calorie sweeteners are commonplace at the grocery store, Lakanto is 100% natural containing no artificial ingredients, measures the same as sugar and performs just like regular sugar when heated.
Created from a proprietary mixture of the highest purity Monkfruit extract and non-GMO erythritol, Lakanto is a delicious all-natural, zero-glycemic sweetener with the sumptuous, rich taste of sugar.
Monkfruit extract does not elevate blood sugar or insulin, making it a perfect sweetener for blood sugar and weight management… as a 1:1 sugar replacement!
The monk fruit that Lakanto uses to this day is still cultivated in the mountains of Guilin, China. To meet the growing demand for this wonder fruit, Saraya built a local factory in Guilin to produce Lakanato directly near the source of monk fruit. A high quality extract of monk fruit must come from fresh fruits. SARAYA Guilin Factory was established in Guilin to process the freshest monk fruits that come from company-certified farmers into the products Lakanto produces today.
"As a Japanese owned and operated manufacturer, we are one of few manufacturers of Monk Fruit Extract in the world. You will find our extract to be of premium quality, consistent sweetness, taste, and color from each batch. We have a zero emission and eco-friendly Monk Fruit processing facility and farms in Guilin. We also have the lowest chemical content in our extract due to our extensive measures to control pesticides and chemicals in the water and soil. Lakanto controls the supply chain which is a more transparent food supply for your consumers and a better price for you.”