Jaggery

Jaggery, brown sugar obtained from sugarcane juice or date palm sap, with origins on the Indian subcontinent. Both date palm sap and sugarcane juice can be distilled to make the raw sugar blocks known as jaggery, or gur. Jaggery has consistencies ranging from coarse and crumbling to rock hard, and it can be found in square or cone-shaped blocks that are graded by colors. The flavor of jaggery is only faintly reminiscent of common brown sugars and is almost chocolaty in the darker grades. Rich mineral character lingers in the finish. Jaggery also plays a role in the South Asian pharmacopoeia, being used in Ayurvedic medications to treat digestive disorders, enhance cardiac function, and act as a diuretic. Jaggery contains minerals such as zinc, iron, and selenium, which have antioxidant properties and help contain inflammation and counter anemia.