Jaggery

Jaggery is named as Gur in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh; Hakuru in Sri Lanka, Panela in Spanish South America and Rapadura in Brazil. It is a traditional form of unrefined sugar consumed in Asian, South American and African countries. It can be consumed directly. This sugar preparation is made from cane juice. But the molasses and crystals are not removed. It is available in various colors ranging from golden brown to dark brown.

Constituency of Panela:

• 50% sucrose
• 20% invert sugar
• 20% moisture
• 10% of miscellaneous materials like – bagasse fibers, ash and proteins.

Preparation:
It can be prepared from both sugarcane and palm and now even from coconut sap and sago palms. The highly concentrated sugar syrups are heated to 200 °C and are solidified into blocks. The sugarcane juice or palm sap is boiled in a large shallow round bottomed vessel to prepare the sugar syrup.

Significance:

• Use of Gur or Penela in India is associated with many religious values. It is even offered during worships to deity.
• It is used in curries and many food preparations. It is also consumed as a traditional sweetener in sweet dishes.
• It also enhances the aroma of a dish.
• Cakes, Toffees and Candies are also made up of Panela.
• Hakuru can be used in alcoholic preparations.
• It can add a very delicious seasoning to tandoori dishes.

Health Benefits:

It is a wholesome sugar. It retains more vitamins and minerals in it due to no additional processing. No chemical agents are required for its preparation and preservation. It is very ideal in treating infections in lungs and throat. Jaggery is not introduced into blood directly like refined sugars. So is more healthy. Recent research shows that Jaggery can save lungs from getting damaged by the silica and coal dusts in rats. So scientist are going to test for the same results in Humans.

Today Jaggery is also available in powdered forms other than its traditional block and paste form.