Jaggery

Jaggeryis atraditionalnon-centrifugal cane sugarconsumed in theIndian subcontinent,Southeast Asia,North America,Central America,BrazilandAfrica.It is a concentrated product ofcane juiceand oftendateorpalmsapwithout separation of themolassesand crystals, and can vary from golden brown to dark brown in colour. It contains up to 50%sucrose, up to 20%invert sugars, and up to 20% moisture, with the remainder made up of other insoluble matter, such aswood ash,proteins, andbagassefibres.Jaggery is very similar tomuscovado, an important sweetener inPortuguese,BritishandFrench cuisine.
Jaggery comes from Portuguese termsjágara,jagra, borrowed fromMalayalamശർക്കര(śarkara), which is borrowed fromSanskritशर्करा(śarkarā). It is adoubletofsugar.
Jaggery is made of the products ofsugarcaneand thetoddy palmtree.The sugar made from the sap of the date palm is more prized and less commonly available outside of the regions where it is made.The toddy palm is tapped for producing jaggery inIndia, Bangladesh,Pakistan,Nepal,MyanmarandSri Lanka.
In Sri Lanka, syrup extracts fromkithul(Caryota urens) trees are widely used for jaggery production.
All types of the sugar come in blocks or pastes of solidified concentrated sugar syrup heated to 200 °C (392 °F). Traditionally, the syrup is made by boiling raw sugarcane juice or palm sap in large, shallow, round-bottomed vessels.
Historically, the sugarcane cultivators used crushers that were powered by oxen, but all modern crushers are power-driven. These crushers are placed in fields near the sugarcane plants. The cut and cleaned sugarcane is crushed and the extracted cane juice is collected in a large vessel. A quantity of the juice is transferred to a smaller vessel for heating in a furnace.
The vessel is heated for about an hour. Dried wood pulp from the crushed sugarcane is traditionally used as fuel for the furnace. While boiling the juice,limeis added to it so that all the wood particles rise to the top of the juice in a froth, which is skimmed off. Finally, the juice is thickened. The resulting thick liquid is about one-third of the original volume.
This hot liquid is golden in colour. It is stirred continuously and lifted with a spatula to observe whether it forms a thread or drips while falling. If it forms many threads, it has completely thickened. It is poured into a shallow flat-bottomed pan to cool and solidify. The pan is extremely large to allow only a thin coat of this hot liquid to form at its bottom, so as to increase the surface area for quick evaporation and cooling. After cooling, the jaggery becomes a soft solid that is then molded into the desired shape.
The quality of jaggery is judged by its colour; dark brown means it was not clarified during the making, or the sugarcane juice was boiled with full nutrients intact. Some people misinterpret this as impure and clarify the juice to improve colour while taking out the nutrients to make golden-yellow jaggery, which is nothing but refined sugar. Due to this grading scale, coloured adulterants, which may be toxic, are sometimes added to jaggery to simulate the golden hue.
Natural dark brown jaggery is derived from whole sugarcane juice, by means of boiling at nearly 200°C in a large cast iron pan. Food-grade mustard or castor oil (having a high smoke point) is usually used in such pans in negligible quantity (approximately 2 teaspoons per 100kg) so that the very hot juice froth does not come out of pan during boiling. Mustard or castor oil is present in whole jaggery in traces, and the qualities of such oils (laxative) coincide and support this quality of whole jaggery.
Many manufacturers use synthetic oil and argue that since it is in trace amounts there is no health concern. However, synthetic oil even in traces can be toxic.So, one not only needs to verify the wholesomeness of jaggery (attained with no clarification), but also verify the type of oil used, even in traces.
Jaggery is used as an ingredient in sweet and savoury dishes in the cuisines of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka,AfghanistanandIran. For example, a pinch of it is sometimes added tosambar,rasamand other staples inUdupi cuisine. Jaggery is added to lentil soups (dāl) to add sweetness to balance the spicy, salty, and sour components, particularly inGujarati cuisine.
In Sri Lanka, jaggery is usually made using the syrup of thekithulpalm tree, or fromcoconutsyrup.The respective names in Sinhalese arekitul hakuru(කිතුල් හකුරු) andpol hakuru(පොල් හකුරු). Jaggery from the syrup of thePalmyrahpalm is more prominent in the northern part of the country; this is referred to as palmyrah jaggery orthal hakuru(තල් හකුරු). Jaggery made from sugarcane syrup is considered inferior to palm syrup-based jaggery varieties, and the term jaggery (හකුරු) is generally understood in the country to refer to the latter.
Maharashtrain India is the largest producer and consumer of jaggery known as "gul" (गुळ) inMarathiandMarwadi, "gur" (گڑ) inUrdu, "bellaṁ" (బెల్లం) in Telugu, bella (ಬೆಲ್ಲ) in Kannada, "Vellam"(வெல்லம்) in Tamil, "sharkara" (ശർക്കര) in Malayalam , "Gōḷa" (ગોળ) in Gujarati , "miṣṭa" (मिष्ट) in Sanskrit, "guṛa" (ଗୁଡ଼) in Odia,gur(गुड़) inHindiand , " guṛ" (গুড়) in Bengali.
Kolhapuris one of the largest producers of jaggery in India and has aGI TagforKolhapur jaggery.Most vegetable dishes,curries, anddals, and many desserts contain it. Jaggery is especially used duringMakar Sankrantifor making a dessert calledtilgul. InGujarat, a similar preparation known calledtal na laduortal sankliis made. In rural Maharashtra and Karnataka, water and a piece of jaggery are given to a person arriving home from working under a hot sun. In Indian culture during the New Year feast, jaggery-based sweets are made. In Andhra, Telangana and Karnataka onUgadifestival day (New Year), Ugadi Pachadi is made from jaggery and five other ingredients (shad ruchulu- sweet, sour, salt, tangy, spice and bitter) and is consumed symbolizing life is a mixture of happiness, disgust, fear, surprise, anger and sadness. Also, it is considered auspicious to see jaggery in dreams in Hinduism.
Molasses (काकवी), a byproduct of the production of jaggery, is used in rural Maharashtra and Karnataka as a sweetener. It contains many minerals not found in ordinary sugar and is considered beneficial to health in traditionalAyurvedicmedicine.It is an ingredient of many sweet delicacies, such asgur ke chawal / chol("jaggery rice"), a traditional Rajasthani or Punjabi dish.
In Gujarat,laddusare made from wheat flour and jaggery. A well-known Maharashtrian recipe,puran poli, uses it as a sweetener apart from sugar. Jaggery is considered an easily available sweet which is shared on any good occasion. Inengagementceremonies, small particles of it are mixed withcoriander seeds(ધાણા). Hence, in many Gujarati communities, engagement is commonly known by themetonymgol-dhana(ગોળ-ધાણા), literally "jaggery and coriander seeds".
Jaggery is used extensively in South India to balance the pungency of spicy foods. InAndhra PradeshandTamil Naduit is used for sweets such aschakkara pongalandmilk pongal, which are prepared with rice, milk, and jaggery. DuringSankranti,Ariselu, an authentic Andhra Pradesh dish, is prepared. In Tamil Nadu,ellurundai(sesame balls),Adhirasamandpori vilangu urundai(puffed rice balls) are prepared as an offering - calledprasadam- to god during Puja and festivals such asDiwali,Tamil New YearandJanmashtami.
A sweet liquid calledPaanakam, made of water, jaggery and peppercorns is prepared as the favorite offering to Lord Rama duringRama Navamifestival. InKerala, it is considered auspicious and is widely used in cooking. It is a vital ingredient in many varieties ofpayasam, a sweet dish. The state of Kerala as 2 GI tagged jaggeries by the name ofCentral Travancore jaggeryandMarayoor jaggery
In Tamil Nadu, jaggery is used exclusively as a sweetener. It is used in a dish calledchakkarai pongal. It is prepared during the festival of Pongal (Thai Pongal), which is held when the harvesting season begins. It is used to make kalhi, to sweeten fruit salads and payasam (sweet milk) that are offered to the gods. Jaggery is used in religious rituals. In rural areas, cane jaggery and palm jaggery are used to sweeten beverages, whereas refined sugar has replaced it in urban areas.
InOdiacuisine, cakes orpiṭhascontain jaggery. Pithas like Arisa pitha are made out of jaggery called guda in Odia. Kakara pitha contains coconut filings which are caramelized using jaggery. Guda is also added to rice flakes known aschudaand eaten for breakfast. Some marmalade made of mango anddilleniacontain the ingredient.
InBengalicuisine, it is commonly used in making sweet dishes, some of which mix jaggery with milk and coconut. Popular sweet dishes such aslaḍḍu/laṛuorpaṭishaptapiṭhamix it with coconut shreds. Jaggery is molded into novel shapes as a type of candy. The same preparation of sweets have been made in the neighbouring state ofAssam. Some of the popular sweet dishes of Assam such astil-pitha(made of rice powder, sesame and jaggery), other rice-basedpitha, andpayasare made of jaggery. In some villages of Assam, people drink salty red tea with a cube ofgurd(jaggery), which is popularly calledcheleka-chah(licking tea).
TraditionalKarnatakasweets, such aspaayasa, obbattu (holige)andundayuse different kinds of jaggery. A pinch is commonly added tosambar(a.k.a.huLi saaru) andrasam(a.k.a.saaru). Karnataka produces sugar and palm-based jaggery.
MuzaffarnagarinUttar Pradeshhas the largest jaggery market in the world along with having a GI Tag forMuzaffarnagar jaggery, followed byAnakapallein the Visakhapatnam District in Andhra Pradesh. TheKolhapur Districtin western Maharashtra is famous for its jaggery, which is yellow and much sought-after in Maharashtra and Gujarat.Mandyain Karnataka is known for its jaggery production.
In Myanmar, jaggery, calledhtanyet(ထန်းလျက်) inBurmese, is harvested fromtoddy palmsyrup. In central Myanmar and aroundBagan(Pagan), toddy syrup is collected solely for making jaggery. The translucent white syrup is boiled until it becomes golden brown and then made into bite-size pieces. It is considered a sweet and is eaten by children and adults alike, usually in the afternoon with a pot ofgreen tea. It has been referred to locally as Burmese chocolate. Toddy palm jaggery is sometimes mixed with coconut shreds,jujubepuree orsesame, depending on the area. This type of jaggery is used inBurmesecooking, usually to add colour and enrich the food.
Other uses include jaggery toffees and jaggery cake made with pumpkin preserve, cashew nuts, peanuts and spices. Jaggery may be used in the creation of alcoholic beverages such aspalm wine.
Besides being a food, jaggery may be used (mixed in an emulsion with buttermilk and mustard oil) to season the inside oftandoorovens.
Jaggery is used in natural dyeing of fabric. It is also used inhookahsin rural areas of Pakistan and India.