JAGGERY (SHARKARA/VELLAM)

Jaggery or Gur is generally made by boiling concentrated and raw sugarcane juice until it solidifies. It is better in comparison to white sugar which simply adds extra calories to the human body. Jaggery comes with a number of health benefits like its ability to cleanse the human body; supporting digestion and offering good quantities of minerals.Jaggery is unrefined sugar which is called “Bellam” in Telugu, “Gur” in Hindi, “Sharkara” in Malayalam, “Vellam” in Tamil, “Gul” in Marathi and “Bella” in Kannada. It is derived from concentrated raw sugarcane juice. However, it can also be made using different other sources like nolen gur or date palm and coconut sap.

The carbohydrate content of jaggery is around 98% while its sugar content is 97%. 10 grams of this unrefined sugar offers 38 calories. This Indian sweetener is one of the healthiest substitutes of chemically processed or industrial sugar. It is to be noted that the nutritional value of this unrefined sugar might not satisfy the mineral and vitamin requirements of individuals. However, these nutrients are also not found in the refined sugar that people have on a regular basis. Jaggery comes in colors ranging from dark brown to golden brown and consists of 20% invert sugars, 20% moisture and 50% sucrose. It is also effectively combined with coconut, peanuts, to more nutritional benefits, white sugar and condensed milk.

Date:

August 28, 2020

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