What Is Jaggery?

The scientific or technical definition of jaggery is an amorphous form of unrefined and

non-distilled sugar prepared from the sap or the juice of plants that contains a
considerable amount of sucrose or sugar. This includes things like sugar cane and
certain palms like date palm and Palmyra. Sometimes, it is also called country sugar,
since it is prepared in rural households of certain countries. It is also called molasses
due to its semi-solid state. Chemically, it is defined as C12H22O12.

Jaggery is not widely known in western countries, since it is rarely prepared there.
Jaggery is predominantly made in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and
Myanmar. Besides tasting very good, it has many health benefits. Now, let’s explore a
bit more about this colorful and tasty food!

Different Types of Jaggery

Although the term “jaggery” is generally used for the molasses obtained from the juice
of sugar cane, it also refers to the jaggery made from the sap of palms, like Date palm,
Palmyra, Toddy palm and a few other plants. Now, let’s take a look at the various types
of jaggery and their different characteristics.

Sugarcane Jaggery
Color: Golden brown to dark brown.

Preparation: It is prepared by boiling sugar cane juice.

Physical state: Amorphous solid to viscous granular liquid.

Place of availability: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Philippines,

Malaysia, Cuba, and Mexico. India is the biggest producer and biggest consumer.

Taste: Very sweet, with a hint of salt, depending upon the quality of the juice that is
used.

Date Palm Jaggery

Color: Golden brown to dark Brown.

Preparation: It is prepared by boiling the sap of Date palm.

Physical state: Amorphous solid and viscous granular to clear red liquid.

Place of availability: India (West Bengal) & Bangladesh.

Taste: Very sweet with the typical aroma of Date palm sap, somewhat like dark
chocolate.

Palmyra Jaggery
Color: Off-white to pale yellowish white.

Preparation: It is prepared by boiling the sap of Palmyra palm.

Physical state: Amorphous solid.

Place of availability: India (West Bengal) & Bangladesh.

Taste: Very sweet with the typical aroma of Palmyra sap, somewhat like white
chocolate.

Toddy Palm Jaggery

Color: Golden Brown.

Preparation: It is prepared by boiling the sap of Toddy palm.

Physical state: Amorphous solid.

Place of availability: Myanmar.

Taste: Very sweet with the typical aroma of Toddy palm sap.

Other Palm Jaggery

These days, even the sap of Sago palm and Coconut palm are being used to make
jaggery, but they are rarely available or heard of. The process of preparation remains
the same, that is, the sap is boiled to a concentrated form until it attains an amorphous,
solid form. The color ranges from golden yellow to golden brown to brown, depending
upon the extent of boiling and the sugar content of the sap. Jaggery from these palms is
made in Malaysia, Myanmar and Philippines.

Uses of Jaggery
Jaggery, apart from being used in households as a sweetener and a flavoring agent, is
also used extensively in the food and beverage industry. It is used in chocolates,
candies, sorbets, health tonics such as Chyavanprash, syrups, and for making alcoholic
beverages, particularly rum. It has other industrial applications too.

Health Benefits of Jaggery

Jaggery of any type is better for health than refined white sugar. Its health benefits are
explained in greater detail below.
High Fiber and Mineral Content: It is rich in minerals, salts, vitamins and even
contains some fiber, whereas sugar, being highly refined, lacks these things. The darker
the jaggery is in color, the richer it is in mineral content (particularly iron content) and
the better it is for your health.

Better Than Sugar: It is much more complex than refined sugar and therefore does not
increase the sugar level of the blood very quickly. It provides energy slowly, over a
longer period. Although diabetics should avoid jaggery, it is still better in this respect for
diabetics than sugar is.

Respiratory Tract Cleanser: For centuries on the Indian Subcontinent, jaggery (sugar
cane jaggery) has been in use as a lung, throat, and respiratory tract cleanser as well
as an additive to the local remedies for coughs and colds. This cleansing property of
jaggery has been proven over many generations. The regular intake of jaggery is
particularly recommended for those who work in kilns, cement factories, stone crushers,
dusty workplaces, furnaces and those who have to do a lot of driving, due to the effect
that these professions can have on the respiratory system.

Cooling Effect: Palmyra jaggery, usually made into a drink by dissolving in water, has a
remarkable cooling effect on the body during the summer. Perhaps that is the reason
why Palmyra sap is harvested and jaggery is made only during the summer.

Warming Effect: Date palm jaggery is manufactured and consumed in the winter. It has
a warming effect on the body and is nutritious as well.

Jaggery – Cultural Aspects

Jaggery, made from sugar cane juice or palm sap, reserves a distinct place in Indian
culture and is used in many religious activities, rituals & customs. The sugar cane
jaggery is considered sacred and is consumed before the commencement of a new
venture, journey, or business endeavor. It is customarily consumed after child birth,
after attending a funeral, and to celebrate any good news.

Jaggery is an integral part of almost all harvest festivals celebrated in India. In Southern
India, rice is cooked in sugar cane jaggery to make Pongal, a dish offered to the gods
after the harvest. Similarly, in western and northern India, sweet dishes are made from
sugar cane jaggery and newly harvested crops like sesame, ground nuts, rice, and
wheat flour to celebrate the harvest.

In Eastern India, fabulously tasty sweet dishes like rice cakes, rice puddings, porridge,
milk and coconut sweets are made using rice flour, milk, coconut shredding and date
palm jaggery. In that area, this date palm jaggery is also offered to Goddess Saraswati
and other gods and goddesses.

Jaggery Manufacturing
Jaggery is manufactured using two different processes. One is a manual process and
the other is through automated plants. The majority of jaggery manufacturing happens
through the manual process.

Manual Manufacturing
In India and neighboring countries, jaggery is made predominantly in rural areas by
farmers. Although automated mills have been invented, manual jaggery manufacturing
still remains the most widely used and most favored method of jaggery manufacturing. It
is the only method followed all over India. This method seems simple, since no machine
or electronic system is involved in it, but it does require a lot of experience and
expertise.

The process of manufacturing jaggery involves crushing sugar cane using a crusher
and then extracting the juice from it. The sugar cane juice is then poured in a large,
shallow but thick iron vessel or pan, called a Kadhai. It is made to boil over earthen
ovens. It is continuously stirred using large ladles to avoid sticking at the bottom of the
vessel. This boiling and stirring goes on for hours until most of the water from the juice
has evaporated and the juice starts to thicken, as the concentration of sugar increases.
Slowly, it becomes super-saturated and assumes a thick, golden to golden brown paste
form. It requires a lot of experience to decide the right moment when the jaggery is
done, because anything under or over may ruin the taste.

Some manufacturers also add sodium bicarbonate (Edible Soda), the juice of Lady’s
Finger to improve the color, and a local herb known as Veranda in Bengali to give the
jaggery a granular texture. The color and taste depend upon the degree of boiling.
Some people prefer dark jaggery to light ones and vice versa. The thick paste that is
obtained is then poured in various molds, pertaining to different quantities. Upon further
condensation, the jaggery solidifies and is taken out of the molds, wrapped in paper and
packed in jute or plastic bags. Thereafter, local agents or businessmen collect this
jaggery from farmers and sell it in local markets. This is why you never see a company
tag on any jaggery sold in India. The process for manufacturing Date palm jaggery and
Palmyra jaggery remains the same. These two types of jaggery are invariably
manufactured manually.

Jaggery-making is a popular activity in several parts of India, especially Mahrashtra and

Uttar Pradesh. However, the technology used by the manufacturers is quite old. There
have been little improvement made in the manufacturing process to enhance the
productivity of the process. However, some work is now being carried out at the
Sugarcane and Jaggery Research Center in Kolhapur, TIDE in Bangalore and IIT
Bombay.

Manufacturing by Automated Plants

This method of jaggery manufacturing is still in its infancy and is being used in very few
countries. There is nothing much to tell about the process. Just pour in sugar cane juice
from one end, set the plant at required temperature and time, and wait for the jaggery
blocks to come out from the other end. The best advantage of using an automated plant
over the manual method is that you get uniformly processed jaggery, of the same colour
and taste, in uniformly packed quantities. This method is used only for sugar cane
jaggery. So far, there has not been any instance of using this method for Date palm
jaggery or Palmyra jaggery.

There needs to be some caution taken, however. It is not a good idea to try making
jaggery at home. The first reason for this is that getting a thick iron vessel like that will
be a problem. Even if you get that, things will be different when you try making at home,
compared to what they do in a large scale. A lot of things, such as an even distribution
of temperature, proper stirring, and final moisture content are essential. Finally, the
expertise that is required…only trained experts can judge whether the jaggery is done.

Crisis for Jaggery Manufacturers

Date palm jaggery and Palmyra jaggery are going through difficult days in India. The
production has reduced drastically over the past decade, the reasons being that these
palms are getting older, they are being cut down for construction, pollution, and the lack
of planting new palms. This has raised the price and lowered the quality. Another
reason is that this business was never looked upon as an industry and was never
organized. A handful of farmer families used to make this jaggery and are still making it.
Their new generations are not at all interested in pursuing this business as they see no
future in it. So, most of the palm jaggery available in the open market is adulterated with
sugarcane jaggery, which is far cheaper. Original & unadulterated palm jaggery should
melt when left out, even at room temperature. On the other hand, the future of
sugarcane jaggery seems to be the only one with any potential.

Adulterations in Jaggery
Although jaggery is not costly, still the insatiable greed of man has not spared even this
local delicacy. Not all jaggery is adulterated, but there are certain manufacturers who let
greed prevail over the quality of their products. There are different types of adulterations
for different types of jaggery, and some of them are explained below.

Adulterations in Sugar Cane Jaggery

The following adulterations have been detected in samples of sugar cane jaggery.

Sodium bicarbonate: Some people might not consider this an adulteration, you might
even say that it is a requirement of the process in some cases. Still, sodium bicarbonate
is most commonly used in the preparation of sugar cane jaggery to improve its color. It
does not have any adverse effect on health. This can be judged by the color. The darker
varieties are less likely to have this, while the light colored ones are most likely.

ZFS (Zinc formaldehyde sulphoxylate): Commonly used in the textile industry, this
harmful chemical is used in jaggery to improve its color. The darker the jaggery, the
better the quality of the jaggery. However, the common belief is that lighter jaggery is
good and hence some manufacturers add these harmful chemicals to lighten the
jaggery.
Sodium hydrophosphide: This is another harmful chemical used in jaggery to give it a
brighter color.

Calcium carbonate (CaCO3): This is added to improve color, as well as to add weight,
since lime is far cheaper than jaggery. This can also be judged by the color (it should be
light), hardness (should be very hard) and by the taste (if you have eaten unadulterated
jaggery, you can detect this).
Adulterations in Date Palm Jaggery
This variety of jaggery is commonly adulterated with the following.

Sugar Cane Jaggery: Sugarcane jaggery is much cheaper (Rs.10 to 25 per Kg.) than
Date Palm Jaggery (Rs.40 to 100 per Kg.). So, the reason is obvious. It can be detected
by the hardness (original unadulterated date palm jaggery is very soft and melts even at
room temperature, whereas adulterated one should be much harder) and by the taste (it
lacks the typical aroma and taste of unadulterated date palm jaggery). Sometimes,
simple sugar cane jaggery blocks are coated with date palm jaggery to fool the
customers. Therefore, see what is inside before you buy.

Plain sugar: Again, the reason for this use is the same as above; sugar is cheaper. It
makes the jaggery harder.

Adulteration in Palmyra Jaggery

This variety of jaggery is adulterated with the following.

Sugar: Palmyra jaggery, being the most expensive (Rs.80 to 120 per Kg.) of all types of
jaggery available in India, is most commonly adulterated with plain sugar. This can
easily be detected by the hardness (the test is the same as that of date palm jaggery
adulterated with sugar cane jaggery). Sometimes, sugar crystals can also be seen
embedded in the jaggery blocks when scrutinized carefully. Again, the jaggery
adulterated with sugar will be much whiter than the unadulterated one, which is pale
yellow in color. So, be sure to check well.

Sodium bicarbonate: This is added to give the jaggery a whiter look.

Yellow Color: This color is often added when the jaggery contains excessive sugar
contained in it and looks very white. This may be harmful for the health as no edible
colors are used in these cases.

Consumption of jaggery in the diet should be given more emphasis, provided you get
original and unadulterated varieties. This industry also needs to be organized,
particularly in the case of palm jaggery, or this delicacy will soon be lost. Thereofre, let
us strive to make our future sweet!

Uses of Inverted Sugar

Invert sugar is used in confectionary preparations (giving them added moisture) and in
the preparation of sorbets and ice cream since it has the ability for controlling
crystallization and creating a smoother mouth feel.
Organic jaggery:

It is the jaggery in which any type of preservative or any type of chemical is not used. in
India and Pakistan it is used with the combination of dry fruits etc in winter season
because it gives the warm feelings to the body.

Jaggery powder:

Color of jaggery powder can range from golden yellow to golden brown dark brown like
dark chocolate. The color is often dependent on base ingredient used to make jaggery
powder.

Jaggery syrup:

Jaggery is dissolved in water and then boiled. Jaggery syrup stored for long time period.
It is used in south Indian sweets and many others.

Jaggery cakes and cookies:

As we know that people like to eat bakery products as refreshment and sugar is not so
beneficial so jaggery is also used by many bakers for the production of cakes and
cookies because jaggery have no side effect and have traditional taste.

Jaggery sweets:

In our country sweets have link with our traditional values.

Jaggery candies:

Jaggery candies are also prepared in our country such as rewri.

Historically when we talk of sugar’s history it is the past history of raw form of sugar an
enjoys combined history till refining of sugar started.
Gur or Jaggery is still produced in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and many other countrie
consumed directly in unrefined condition this type of sugar is a concentrated pro
separation of molasses and crystals, and can vary in colour from golden brown to dark b
It contains 50% sucrose, up to 20% invert sugar, moisture content up to 20% and rem
insolvable matter such as ash, protein and bagasse fiber particles.
Gur is considered as auspicious in many parts of India, Pakistan’s Northern areas and A
neighboring north of Afghanistan. It is an essential food commodity and source of energ
their animals during crucial winter months of heavy snowfall and blizzards. Its produ
despite surplus capacity of sugar mills, major chunk of sugarcane in Peshawar-Mardan
production as it enjoys free movement and levy of all taxes.
Its large markets in Peshawar Mardan valley are at Shergarh, Mardan, Charsada and P
of Pakistan actively trade Gur in their respective grain markets.
The method of production of Gur have also improved from past crude methods of can
oxen in round circle to extract the cane juice, now run by mechanical means powered
by hooking unauthorized power cables to the power lines in the vicinity.
The sap is boiled and stirred in large pans fueled by bagasse till the water content is d
separated and left to cool down before bagging.
As a specialty dry fruit is added to the boiled sap pans just before cooling and lumps
separated for cooling
Dry fruit added Gur is most delicious form of Gur gifted to friends and relations across th
priced high in the market depending on the quantity and quality of dry fruit added.
The continuation in production of Gur commercially has jeopardized the procurement of
thus has affected the economics of sugar production particularly in Khyber Pakhtu
Punjab. It continues to draw a large market due to its taste and its health benefits as b
Surprisingly the price of Gur has always dominated the price of white sugar in the m
form.
(See notification No. PY-19/48 the Gur Control order 1948)

What is the difference between inverted sugar and High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) ?

While the end results are very similar differing only in the ratios of glucose to fructose
the processes used to make them are very different. HFCS is produced by enzymatic
ally converting corn syrup almost entirely to glucose and then adding other enzymes
that change some of the glucose into fructose. The resulting syrup (after enzyme
conversion) contains approximately 42% fructose and is HFCS 42. Some of the 42%
fructose can then purified to other forms of HFCS e.g., 90% fructose, HFCS 90, and
HFCS 55. The most widely used varieties of HFCS are: HFCS 55 (mostly used in soft
drinks), approximately 55% fructose and 42% glucose; and HFCS 42 (used in
beverages, processed foods, cereals, and baked goods), approximately 42% fructose
and 53% glucose. Inverted sugar has a ratio of 50:50 (glucose to fructose).

Inverted or invert sugar is a mixture of glucose and fructose; it is obtained by splitting

sucrose into these two components. The mixture is sold as a viscous liquid and is often
referred to as trimoline or invert syrup. Compared to sucrose, inverted sugar is sweeter
and its products (glucose and fructose) tend to retain moisture and are less prone to
crystallization.

The disaccharide sucrose (table sugar) can be split in a hydrolysis reaction The hydrolysis
can be induced simply by heating an aqueous solution of sucrose, but catalysts such as
lemon juice or cream of tartar can be added to accelerate the conversion. The mixture when
boiled to 236°F (114°C) will convert enough of the sucrose to effectively prevent
crystallization, without giving a noticeably sour taste. Invert sugar syrup may also be
produced without the use of acids or enzymes by thermal means alone: two parts granulated
sucrose and one part water simmered for five to seven minutes will convert a modest portion
to invert sugar.

Note: Inverted sugar is automatically produced when making jams since when by
combining the sugar with the acid in the fruit and heating. Most of the sugar in honey is
also inverted sugar.

Jaggery is rich in vitamins and minerals – Jaggery is rich in iron and thus is highly
recommended for anaemic people. It also contains many minerals such
as Magnesium, Potassium, Calcium, Selenium, Manganese and Zinc.Mar 24, 2011

Sap extract from Palmyra tree

Palm jaggery is almost like a jaggery that is made out of sugarcane juice. Palm jaggery is made from
the sap extract of Palm Trees in Southern India. These trees are also known as Toddy palm trees or
Palmyra trees . The Jaggery is processed from the unfermented Palmyra tree sap
called neera in kannada language. It is highly priced due to its medicinal properties. It has an
intense, earthy taste or reminiscent of chocolates in its taste.

The palm jaggery obtained after processing is darker and richer in colour. It is slight salty to taste but
much healthier of the two. Due to its cooling effects over human body, it is of high value. It does not
have the bone meal content which is used for whitening processed sugar. The price of the palm
jaggery is double that of sugar.
The first extract of the palm juice which is boiled at high temperatures, is being added with a little
salt. The added salt then acts as a preservative. This also prevents the jaggery from becoming too
sweet. When it gets cooled, it is poured into a long cone made of palm leaves. The preservation of
the final product is done by wrapping the cone with rice straws. At home, the consumers finely slice
the cone, so that the jaggery is cut into disc shapes leaving a palm ribbon around its edges. Some
families simply dry the extracted palm juice on mats. Others do it on lime floors called the kobas .
After it dries, the jaggery is being stored in an air-tight container which preserves it for nearly one
year.

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Palm Jaggery in India

People of northern and western India prefer the sugarcane jaggery. But the people of the South,
especially the South Kanara district, will not see beyond palm jaggery when it comes to adding this
sweet flavoring agent to their home made sweet dishes. In Kannada language, the localites of the
south kanara district call it Ole Bella.
Palm jaggery is quite popular in the Southern states of Tamil Nadu(called Karupatti vellam or pana
vellam), Karnataka (it is called thaati bella in some places and Olebella inMangalore, which is
believed to be the best), Kerala and Andhra Pradesh.

In the south Indian families of the coastal region of Mangalore and also the Keralites of the Malabar
coast, palm jaggery has a big role. It is used in the preparation of delicacies like payasams and
neyyai appams. Mangaloreans use the same to prepare puddings and sweets. In temples, it is
distributed with banana, or a bit of coconut, as prasadam . In the Calcutta city of West Bengal state,
it is an important ingredient in sweets like Payeesh, Nalan gurer sandesh and Nalan gurer moa.

men selling the Olebella at Mangalore

Why the palm jaggery has to be fed to the cow?

The body temperature of few hybrid cows fall down after a calf is born. Their neck gets tightened and
breathlessness might follow. As per the veterinary doctors, the reason is lack of calcium content in
the body. If immediate action is not taken the cow may reach to the coma state. The calcium is
supplied to the body in the form of liquid. If palm jaggery is fed to the cow problem gets solved.

Three or four weeks prior to the birth of the calf, 100gm of jaggery is being fed for 5 days. After its
birth ¼ kg of jaggery is fed so that there is no calcium deficiency. It is advisable to feed the minerals
to the cow, if it is too weak and in unhealthy condition.

Usefulness of Palm jaggery

 Palm Jaggery is rich in calcium, iron and other useful vitamins and minerals.

 One of the tastiest and healthy products. It is used in the preparation of sweet dishes.

 The medicinal properties in it makes it a unique product that can be used by people of all ages.

 It may be used sufficiently by people who suffer from diabetes.

 It is used as a substitute of sugar in the preparation of coffee, tea, etc.

 Panakam or Juice is prepared by adding black pepper and palm jaggery, to a glass of water.
Sometimes a pinch of cardomom(elaichi) is also added to get a good flavor and taste.

 In the South Kanara district region, most of the time it is given to women who give birth to a
child. If the mixture of powdered palm jaggery and black jeera are given to such women, then
 impurities in the breast milk would disappear and baby gets the white and clean milk during
breast feeding. Even in the case of milking cows, the same thing is repeated after it gives birth
to a calf.

Palm Jaggery we are calling as karuppatti in Tamil is made from the extract of
Palm Trees. The process of making jaggery from the plant sources, does not
involve any chemical agents and hence all the natural mineral salts are
retained without adding any preservatives of chemicals. Jaggery is known to
have various medicinal properties and other health benefits.
It is a relatively unrefined sugar. While manufacturing processes in sugar
utilizes chemicals such as sulphur dioxide, lime and other bleaching agents,
jiggery is prepared in a natural way, without removing minerals. Its mineral
overtones and dark syrup has the lingering complexity of taste that can make
eating imperative.
Palm Jaggery is reported to have more nutritional and medicinal value than
cane sugar. It is a good source of Vitamin B complex and it also contains
ascorbic acid. It is delicious and has mineral salts too. During pregnancy,
elders traditionally give kashayams every night from 7 month onwards to ease
up the pregnancy difficulties, widely practised in Tamilnadu.
Being rich in iron, it prevents diseases like anemia and also contains essential
nutrients like magnesium and potassium. Magnesium is vital for the proper
functioning of the nervous systems and the potassium regulates the blood
pressure and the heart functions.It purifies the blood, prevents rheumatism
and bile disorders and is highly nutritious in value. Jaggery is also useful in
combating problems like cough and stomach ailments like indigestion, acidity
and constipation. Recent scientific research has reaffirmed the benefits of
jaggery for the sensitive organs of the human body like the lungs.
Consumption of jaggery is useful for those who are exposed to pollution on a
regular basis like industrial workers. It has been lauded for its ability to help
the human body to fight off the ill effects of pollution.
Palm jaggery is a natural sweetner and Energy Food, it is very rich in minerals,
predominantly iron with traces of other mineral salts. The benefits of palm
jaggery include its ability to cleanse your body, act as a digestive agent,
sweeten your food in a healthy manner, provide good amounts of minerals.
Highly rich in calcium.People often prepare sweets with jaggery. Particularly
for naivedyam, jaggery sweets are preferred to sugar sweets. Our elders, they
may not have degrees, but they do know where the ingredients come from and
how they are made. They avoid sugar in naivedyam.
Jaggery, which is bought in block form, is more nutritious and healthy than
regular sugar because it is unrefined, contains no preservatives or synthetic
additives, and has minerals such as magnesium, potassium and iron. Jaggery
contains slightly less calories than table sugar, has a higher glycemic index and
is sweeter than table sugar. Mahatma Gandhi recommended jaggery as part of
his vegetarian, goats milk diet. He believed that consuming jaggery instead of
sugar resulted in a slower rise in blood sugar.It is highly priced due to its
medicinal properties and it makes it a unique product that can be used by
people of all ages. Due to its cooling effects over human body, it is of high
value. It does not have the bone meal content which is used for whitening
processed sugar. Palm jaggery is quite popular in the Southern states of Tamil
Nadu (called Karupattivellam or panavellam), Palm Jaggery is rich in calcium,
iron and other useful vitamins and minerals.
Most of the time it is given to women who give birth to a child. If the palm
jaggery are given to such women, then impurities in the breast milk would
disappear and baby gets the white and clean milk during breast feeding. Even
in the case of milking cows, the same thing is repeated after it gives birth to a
calf.
Jaggery is a healthy alternative to white sugar and is commonly known as
'medicinal sugar', because of its various health benefits. Jaggery acts as a
cleansing agent for our body and effectively cleans the respiratory tracts, food
pipe, lungs, stomach and intestines. It helps the body to get rid of the
unwanted particles and thus provides relief from constipation. Jaggery proves
as a great digestive aid and speeds up the process of digestion. Eating a few
grams of jaggery after a heavy meal is often recommended for those having
problems with normal digestion. In the body, jaggery activates the various
digestive enzymes and itself gets converted to acetic acid, thus speeding up
digestion.
Jaggery is a rich source of many vital minerals that are required by the body for
normal growth and functioning. It is considered as a store house of various
important minerals like iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, etc.
Jaggery is used since ancient times to treat problems such as dry cough,
common cold andasthma.It is beneficial in treating conditions like indigestion
and constipation.Jaggery helps in promoting relaxation of muscles, nerves and
blood vessels, thus enhancing their functions.
Migraines, the most painful and uncomfortable type of headaches can be
relieved to a large extent by jaggery. Jaggery is a rich source of iron and is
therefore, very good for anemic people, as it increases the haemoglobin level
in the blood. Jaggery has strong antioxidant properties and protects our body
cells from the damage caused by free radicals. Jaggery has the ability to purify
blood and helps in regulating the liver function. A mixture of jaggery and dry
ginger powder taken with warm water can stop hiccups. Jaggery helps in
regulating blood pressure and also helps the body to get rid of all the toxins.
Jaggery is loaded with many essential nutrients such as proteins, vitamins and
minerals, that play a key role in many life processes.
Jaggery has potassium content that may help in reducing bloating and water
retention. Jaggery used as an Ayurvedic medicine comes from palms. A quick
fix medicine for common cold, cough etc, it dissolves mucus and clears the
throat. Our products are manufactured under controlled conditions to ensure
high quality while at the same time retaining the nutrient value, freshness and
flavour.
Karuppatti - palm jaggery / panai vellam. Palm jaggery is a kind
of sweetener used in South India. In my native place, palm
jaggery extraction is a well known cottage industry. It is used in
preparing many Indian medicines especially the Tamil medicines
and healthy food. When mixed with tamarind extract and dry
ginger, it is believed to treat UTI and kidney stones. It is also
believed to be a healthy and less calorific sugar for everyone.
From the root to the top, the whole tree can be used for one
purpose or another. Some of the useful things we get from palm
tree are, palm root (panan kilangu), thavun (germinating seed),
panan kuruthu (tender edible leaves), fuel from leaves and trunk,
strong wood for construction, neera / pathaneer (palmira juice),
palm leaf fan and some crafts, nongu/nungu (unripe palm fruit),
a very sweet palm fruit and of course the palm jaggery also. The
best part is this tree won't need much irrigation or attention, so it
can be cultivated in hot arid conditions also. As the whole tree
serves the humans in many ways, they call it as karpaga
virutcham (a mythical tree that can give whatever we wish for).
The coffee made with this karipotti, will taste great even without
milk. Because of lesser awareness and negligence the palmyra
trees are fast vanishing from our farms.
Palm sugar was originally made from the sugary sap of the
Palmyra palm , the date palm or sugar date palm (Phoenix
sylvestris). Now it is also made from the sap of the sago, arenga
pinnata and coconut palms, and may be sold as "arenga sugar"
or "coconut sugar"
Karupatti has rich calcium content and blood purifying
properties, say doctors. They recommend black coffee as it also
purifies blood. People now treat karupatti as organic food. But
sadly, we have no one from the younger generation to climb palm
trees now. Only a few farmers over 40 years of age remain. If the
government intervenes with some subsidies for this cottage
industry, there is a hope for revival."
"The quality of sugarcane determines the taste and the colour."
The dark brown thennangkarupatti (from coconut kernels) has a
mild sweet taste while the panangkarupatti (from palm kernels)
has a refreshing earthy flavour. The vellam varieties sell at an
average of Rs. 50 per kilo, the panangkarupatti is Rs. 140 per kg
and the thennangkarupatti sells at Rs. 80 per kilo. "In the last
two years, retail business of karupatti picked up because of its
medicinal properties. It is used for making sukku kaapi, lehiyam
and kashayam,".
Palm sugar was originally made from the sap of the Palmyra
palm, the date palm or the sugar date palm. Now it is also made
from the sap of the Arenga pinnata (sugar palm) and the nipa
palm, and may therefore also be sold as "arenga sugar". Palm
sugar is often labelled under various other names reflecting the
several different species of palm utilised and its wide production
area across Africa and Asia. Palm sugar is produced by tapping
the sap from the inflorescence of the tree and boiling it down to
produce a syrup, which is then sold as is, or allowed to crystallize
into various shapes and sizes. In some instances the tree itself is
tapped rather than the flowering spikes, but this is an isolated
production method. Often the distinction is made between
coconut sugar and palm sugar, but this only reflects the different
species from which the sugar is sourced, i.e. coconut sugar is
produced in an identical way.[1] Thailand is one place where the
distinction is made and the difference is due to palm sugar being
produced there from the tree trunk of the sugar palm, whilst
coconut sugar is tapped from the inflorescences of the coconut
palm. The differences are semantic, as all the sugars under their
various names are still produced from the sucrose rich sap of a
palm species.
a mixture of glucose and fructose obtained by the hydrolysis of sucrose