The taste and selection of sweeteners should be considered from three dimensions: source, sweetness, and aftertaste.
1. Characteristics of Natural Sweeteners
Among common natural sweeteners, honey has a floral and fruity sweetness with a slightly tart and astringent taste; when dissolved in cold water, it can even have a slightly bitter aftertaste. Maple syrup has a caramel and toffee aroma, making it suitable for pairing with muffins. Stevia extract has an initial sweetness 200 times higher than white sugar, but leaves a licorice-like astringent taste and is often used in combination with other sugar substitutes.
2. Differences in Artificial Sweeteners
Zero-calorie aspartame (used in Coke Zero) has a fast-acting and fast-fading sweetness, and it decomposes and loses its sweetness at high temperatures. Acesulfame K is heat-resistant and has a long-lasting sweetness, but it develops a metallic taste when the concentration exceeds 0.04%. Sucralose (commonly used in milk tea shops) has the sweetness curve closest to sucrose, and it is now widely used in new sugar substitute products.
