Marva

Jaggery is a sweetener that’s becoming popular as a “healthy” replacement for sugar. What’s more, this sweetener has been given a serious health halo. It’s often referred to as a “superfood sweetener.” Jaggery is an unrefined sugar product made from sugar cane or palm in parts of Asia and Africa. It’s sometimes referred to as a “non-centrifugal sugar,” because it’s not spun during processing to remove the nutritious molasses. It’s most often made with sugar cane. However, jaggery made from date palm is also common in several countries. Much of the world’s production takes place in India, As much as 70%, where it is commonly called “gur.”

Jaggery is a natural product extracted from sugar cane. It is the main source of sucrose and glucose. It is rich in nutrients and minerals like iron, magnesium, potassium, manganese, protein, fat, calcium, zinc, phosphorus and vitamin B.

Traditionally jaggery is made by methods of pressing and distilling cane juice. This is a 3-step process:
• Extraction: The canes or palms are pressed to extract the sweet juice or sap.
• Clarification: The juice is allowed to stand in large containers so that any sediment settles to the bottom. It is then strained to produce a clear liquid.
• Concentration: The juice is placed in a very large, flat-bottomed pan and boiled.

During this process, the sap is stirred and the impurities are skimmed off the top until only a yellow, dough-like paste remains. This, “dough” is then transferred in to moulds or containers where it hardens as it cools into jaggery.

Kolhapur, in the state of Maharashtra, India is the largest producer and consumer of jaggery and has a GI Tag for Jaggery. Jaggery has a great significance in India. Owing to its sweet taste, jaggery is offered as ‘prasad’ (devotional offering made to god) during auspicious occasions. It also symbolizes happiness.

Including Jaggery in our daily diet helps one to get rid of constipation caused due to problems related to digestion. Jaggery is a natural source of protein and energy. India experiences hot and humid weather for most part of the year. Therefore, in India it’s a tradition to drink water mixed with jaggery to prevent dehydration. In rural Maharashtra and Karnataka, water and a piece of jaggery are given to a person arriving home from working under a hot sun. Consuming jaggery and groundnut together helps to keep the cholesterol levels in control and thus prevents risk of cardiovascular disease.

Other uses
• Other uses include jaggery toffees and jaggery cakes made with pumpkin preserve, cashew nuts, peanuts and spices. Jaggery may be used in the creation of alcoholic beverages such as palm wine.
• Besides being a food, jaggery may be used (mixed in an emulsion with buttermilk and mustard oil) to season the inside of tandoor ovens.
• Jaggery is used in natural dying of fabric. It is also used in hookahs in rural areas of Pakistan and India.

Jaggery is the best substitute for sugar. Seventy percent of world’s jaggery is produced in India. A lot of factories use chemical methods to process jaggery which is faster and cost effective. Therefore, to detect adulteration, jaggery is tested in specially set up labs.

Marva Overseas has successfully managed to procure chemical-free jaggery which is processed by using traditional methods directly from the farmers. We intend to help the farmers get a fair price for their produce right at their door-step and also encourage them to continue using traditional methods for processing and producing jaggery.