Jaggery is a sweet substance that gained popularity as a replacement for sugar. Being one of the best jaggery exporters in Pakistan, Bhandari Food works efficiently to produce high-quality jaggery as it has many health benefits over sugar. Because of this, it has been given the title of “superfood sweetener.” Jaggery is made of sugar cane and toddy palm trees. Its sweetness comes from the sugar cane, and the palm tree gives it its sticky residue. It has numerous health benefits and is excellent for people who are health conscious but like to enjoy sweets. It is also beneficial for people with a sweet tooth, as they can satisfy their sweet cravings without doing any severe damage to their health.
What is Jaggery?
Jaggery is basically an unrefined form of sugar made in the Asian and African continents. It is also referred to as “non-centrifugal sugar” because it is not spun during the process of refinement. It is so that it can retain the nutritious molasses. Jaggery is profoundly used around the world, and it has a different name in different countries, including:
- Gur in Pakistan and India
- Panela in Columbia
- Tapa Dulce in Costa Rica
- Piloncillo in Mexico
- Namtan Tanode in Thailand
- Kokuto in Japan
- Gula Melaka in Malaysia
About 70% of the world’s jaggery production is from India and Pakistan, which gives jaggery exporter in this region a great chance to meet international market demands.
Production of Jaggery
Jaggery exporters produce it in three simple steps by using traditional methods of distilling palm and sugar cane juice.
Following is the 3-step method that jaggery exporters practice for producing jaggery:
Extraction
Firstly, the juice from the cane or palm is extracted by the pressing method. This extracted juice is then taken to the next step.
Clarification
The next step is to settle the extracted juice in large containers to settle down the sediments from it. It is then strained to gain a clear liquid.
Concentration
The strained liquid is then boiled in a large pan and boiled to get jaggery. During this process, jaggery is stirred in the hot pan to remove all the germs and impurities. It is cooked until only a yellow and dough-like paste is left behind. This dough is then transferred into molds to shape them into squares or cones.
The color of jaggery can vary from light golden to dark brown shades. The texture and color are the factors used to grade the quality of the jaggery. The lighter golden shade of jaggery is generally considered to be of good quality. It contains 70% sucrose, 10% glucose and fructose, and 5% minerals in it.
More Nutritious than Sugar
Jaggery is indeed healthier than sugar. It is because it contains more and better nutrients than refined sugar because of its high molasses content.
Molasses are the sugar byproduct that is removed when making white sugar. Jaggery contains molasses that add a small amount of micronutrients to the final product. This content includes the right health benefits. The exact number of nutrients can vary according to the quantity of jaggery taken at a time. However, a 100g or half cup of jaggery contains:
- 383 calories
- 60g to 80g sucrose
- 0.4g of protein
- 15g of glucose and fructose
- 0.1g of fat
- 11mg of iron
- 70g to 90g of magnesium
- 1050mg of potassium
- 0.5mg of manganese
Jaggery exporters take advantage of the health benefits and promote them globally. This way, they can facilitate larger markets by filling the demand gaps.
Effects on Health
Jaggery is used mainly as an alternative to white sugar. However, excess use of anything is harmful, even if it contains better and healthy nutrients. Therefore, if you take any sugar content in an exceeded quantity, it will ruin your health.
Overall, jaggery has positive effects on your health. It can be taken as an alternative to sugar, but this does not mean that you start taking it in excessive quantities.
Better than Sugar
Yes, jaggery is better than sugar, for it provides better nutrients and promotes your health. Switching to jaggery will help you maintain your body sugar levels better, and it can also satisfy your sweet cravings.
All in all, it is a very healthy dietary substance, and its global demand is highly profitable for jaggery exporters. It also promotes the use of sugar cane, which has helped sugarcane exporters from Pakistan to take the opportunity and fill in the market gap.