Is there another name for monk fruit sweetener?

November 18, 2025 •

4 min read

Monk fruit extract is up to 250 times sweeter than table sugar, leading to its rising popularity. Due to its intense sweetness and zero-calorie nature, many are asking, "is there another name for monk fruit sweetener?" The answer is yes, with several common names used interchangeably in stores and traditional medicine.

Quick Summary

Monk fruit sweetener has several other names, most notably Luo Han Guo and Siraitia grosvenorii, which refer to the fruit it's derived from. These terms appear on product labels and in nutritional information, reflecting its origins in Traditional Chinese Medicine and its botanical classification. The intense sweetness comes from mogrosides, not sugar.

Key Points

Luo Han Guo is the primary alternative name: The Chinese name Luo Han Guo is one of the most common alternative names for monk fruit, especially in traditional and some commercial contexts.
The botanical name is Siraitia grosvenorii: The scientific classification for the plant that produces monk fruit is Siraitia grosvenorii.
Sweetness comes from mogrosides: The sweetness in monk fruit is not from natural sugars but from antioxidant compounds called mogrosides.
Often blended with other ingredients: Because it is so intensely sweet, monk fruit extract is often mixed with bulking agents like erythritol to make it easier to measure and use.
Zero calories and zero glycemic impact: Regardless of its name, pure monk fruit extract provides intense sweetness with no calories or impact on blood sugar.

What is Luo Han Guo, the ancient name for monk fruit?

One of the most common alternative names for monk fruit sweetener is Luo Han Guo (or luo hàn guǒ). This Chinese name literally means "arhat fruit," a nod to the Buddhist monks who cultivated it in southern China as early as the 13th century. For centuries, the fruit was used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for its healing properties, such as treating coughs, sore throats, and digestive issues. Today, when you see Luo Han Guo on a package, it refers to the same fruit extract that has gained popularity as a modern sugar alternative.

Historically rooted: The name reflects the fruit's long history of cultivation and use in China.
Traditional remedy: In dried form, it has been used to make soothing herbal teas and soups.
Often unprocessed: Products labeled Luo Han Guo may sometimes be the less-processed fruit rather than just the refined extract, so always check the ingredients.

The scientific name: Siraitia grosvenorii

The scientific or botanical name for monk fruit is Siraitia grosvenorii, a title that honors Gilbert Hovey Grosvenor of the National Geographic Society, who helped fund an expedition to China in the 1930s to find the fruit. This formal name is often used in research and is the most precise term for the plant. While you are less likely to see this name on a supermarket shelf, you may encounter it in scientific articles or ingredient lists on very pure extract products. Knowing the botanical name can help distinguish the true fruit from other plants in the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae), like melons and cucumbers, to which it is related.

Other common aliases

Beyond its primary names, the sweetener may have other designations depending on the brand, processing, or cultural context. These are less standardized but still encountered:

Swingle fruit: This is another, less common, botanical name that sometimes appears.
Monk fruit extract: This term is typically used to refer to the finished product, which is a concentrated, calorie-free extract of the fruit's sweet components, the mogrosides.
Mogrosides: Some technical or high-purity product labels may highlight mogrosides, the antioxidant compounds responsible for the sweetness, as the key ingredient.

Comparing sweeteners: Monk fruit vs. other alternatives

To better understand where monk fruit fits in the landscape of sugar substitutes, it's helpful to compare it with other popular options. The following table contrasts monk fruit with erythritol and stevia, two common natural zero-calorie sweeteners.


Feature	Monk Fruit (Luo Han Guo)	Erythritol	Stevia
Origin	Fruit native to China and Thailand	A sugar alcohol, often fermented from corn	Plant native to South America
Sweetness	100-250 times sweeter than sugar	About 60-70% as sweet as sugar	200-300 times sweeter than sugar
Calories	Zero	Almost zero, but technically 0.24 calories/gram	Zero
Glycemic Index	Zero	Minimal effect on blood sugar	Zero
Aftertaste	Generally no bitter aftertaste	A cooling sensation is often reported	A slightly bitter or metallic aftertaste is possible
Best for...	Natural, intense sweetness in beverages, cooking, and baking	Adding bulk and sugar-like texture to baked goods	High-intensity sweetness in drinks and recipes where bulk isn't needed

How manufacturers create monk fruit sweetener

Monk fruit sweeteners are processed by extracting the sweet-tasting mogrosides from the fruit. The process typically involves:

Harvesting: The fresh monk fruit is harvested when ripe.
Crushing: The fruit is crushed to release its juice.
Filtering and extraction: The juice is filtered and the intensely sweet mogrosides are extracted.
Drying: The extract is often dried into a concentrated powder.

Because pure monk fruit extract is so incredibly sweet, manufacturers sometimes blend it with other ingredients, like erythritol or inulin, to make it easier to measure and to add volume, particularly in baking mixes. This processing separates the sweet mogrosides from the fruit's natural sugars (fructose and glucose), meaning the final sweetener contains no actual sugar and therefore has zero calories.

Conclusion

Yes, monk fruit sweetener has several other names, with the most important and common being Luo Han Guo and its scientific name, Siraitia grosvenorii. Luo Han Guo points to its traditional use and Chinese origin, while the botanical name is its formal classification. It's crucial for consumers to recognize these alternative names when examining ingredient lists, as manufacturers may use them interchangeably. The core component providing the intense, zero-calorie sweetness, however, is the mogroside extract, regardless of the name used. Understanding these different names helps you make informed choices about your sugar substitutes and better navigate the world of low-calorie sweeteners.

For further reading on how the FDA regulates sweeteners, visit the official FDA website on food additives.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, Luo Han Guo is the Chinese name for monk fruit. The terms are used interchangeably to refer to the same small, round fruit cultivated in Southern China.

Siraitia grosvenorii is the scientific, botanical name for the monk fruit plant. This formal name is used in scientific literature and by some manufacturers to specify the fruit.

The sweetness of monk fruit comes from compounds called mogrosides, which are extracted from the fruit's pulp. These mogrosides are up to 250 times sweeter than regular sugar.

While many commercial monk fruit products are blended with other natural sweeteners or bulking agents like erythritol, you can also find pure monk fruit extract in both liquid and powdered forms. Always check the ingredient list.

Yes, the name Luo Han Guo is tied to its historical use in Traditional Chinese Medicine, where the dried fruit was used to treat coughs, sore throats, and other ailments. While the modern sweetener is primarily used for taste, it draws on this rich history.

Swingle fruit is another botanical name for monk fruit, though it is less common than Luo Han Guo or Siraitia grosvenorii.

Some highly technical or pure extract products list mogrosides to specify the compounds that provide the sweetness. This is a precise way of detailing the active, zero-calorie ingredient.