Keeping things sweet with jaggery

It always a win win when old traditions not only die hard but also gain new adopters along the way. And this one has always been a favourite of mine! Gur, or jaggery is a natural sweetener used in most Indian households in many sweet dishes and a little nugget would often be taken as a component in an Indian meal. I always remember being told, here have this - it’s good for you, it will give you energy!

Some of these ‘benefits’ would include support to iron deficiency and immunity, a digestive aid, especially a vata digestion. Jaggery is also the best choice in preparing rasayana’s (rejuventive tonics) – for example in Kharjuradi Mantha – a tonic used for hangovers and a useful option where sweetness is necessary to help the medicine go down.

Like, turmeric, ashwagandha, oil pulling, hair oiling and many other herbs and traditions that have become a modern-day trend, jaggery I have no doubt will also catch on in the health food industry as more and more people become aware of grave negatives of refined sugar ☠️

So, what is jaggery exactly?

Well, it is an unrefined sugar with naught taken out. And I love preparing most of my sweet treat with this. It is mostly made with sugar cane and is a non-centrifugal sugar which means that is has not been spun in the processing in the same way sugar is so that the molasses and nutrients remain intact. It could be considered a ‘super food’ of the sweetener world and is often reputed as the healthy sugar (however see my word of caution lower down).

Jaggery is produced from sugar cane with a traditional 3-steps process. 

Step 1: Extraction of the cane juices

Juice is pressed and extracted from sugar canes. In India, is it not uncommon to see a street vendor with piles of long chopped sugar cane which is then freshly pressed, and the juice is extracted and then sold it is as refreshing drink. This is a summertime drink and great for balancing excess pitta. This drink brings immediate energy and contains traces of essential nutrients. While it is ‘super sweet’ is can be a nice occasional treat.

Step 2: Clarification
Large vats of juice stand still where the sediments can settle at the bottom and is then strained to leave a clarified juice.

Step 3: Concentration
The juice is then boiled and stirred in a large flat-based pan whilst impurities are skimmed off. This is then cooled in moulds and can then be bought as solid blocks that resembles golden brown fudge. The colour will vary from light to dark brown and the quality will vary based on the source, harvest of the canes, location, and processing methods. Nowadays it can also be available in granulated and liquid forms.

How is Jaggery different to sugar?

White refined sugar is nothing more than ‘empty’ calories, since the molasses (the by-product of sugar) remain intact, jaggery however contains more natural nutrients. Some of these micronutrients include iron, magnesium, potassium, and manganese as well as traces of vitamin B, calcium, zinc, copper, and phosphorus. Even still, do bear in mind that it is still essentially ‘sugar’ and should be consumed accordingly (as a sugar alternative/replacement – not as an addition).

Of all the sugar evils, at least jaggery can be the better option as we all enjoy the occasional sweet treat and baked goods and especially since its energy release is slower than refined sugar. Added sugars in our diet is not good for health overall as it is one of the deadliest contributing factors of many lifestyle conditions especially in instances of type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease. Jaggery is not necessarily consumed for its health properties as you would need to consume large amounts which would essentially outweigh the negative effects, but it provides a less toxic option to refined sugar.

I tend to use jaggery in baking, Indian sweet dishes, broken into dishes which require taste balancing (i.e., with bitter gourd curry or with Gujarati kadhi) or as a sweetener to hot milk and other drinks.

Have you tried jaggery? What do you think?