On a trip late last year to Punjab in India’s north, I saw what looked like clouds of smoke rising from little plots of land dotted along the roadside. The smell, on the other hand, was divine, the stuff lazy childhood dreams are made of.
A closer look revealed entire families of farmers hauling thick bundles of sugar cane that were being pulped to a juice, and then boiled, cleaned and stirred with giant ladles in huge cauldrons over wood fires to form a thick, fudgy paste.
The viscous golden liquid was then poured into huge trays to thicken further and form blocks of what is widely thought to be the world’s healthiest form of sugar — jaggery, also called gur and vellam.
Sweet and sour history
Jaggery has been used in many Indian (and some Asian and African) households for centuries and has been used as a natural sweetener by Ayurveda practitioners for more than 3,000 years.
Sugar is simply empty calories, while jaggery is rich in a number of essential nutrients
Kavita Devgan,
nutritionist and author
Legend has it that the physician Sushruta, also known as the “father of Indian surgeons”, in about 700BC combined jaggery with sesame seeds as an antiseptic to treat his patients. Jaggery was rediscovered in the late 1600s in south India by the Portuguese colonisers, and it subsequently spread to other parts of South East Asia, including Myanmar and Vietnam, as well as Africa.
“In India, jaggery is more than just a flavouring, it’s also an object of ritualistic significance, a sign of good tidings and a marker of changing seasons,” says Sneha Mehta, a homemaker from Ahmedabad. “In Gujarati communities, for example, engagements are commonly known as gol dhana to represent the gift of jaggery and coriander seeds that were traditionally distributed to guests.”
Preferences changed after 1857 during British colonial rule in India, which not only destroyed the jaggery industry, but also promoted refined white sugar. However, the ingredient has found favour in recent decades as consumers became ever more health conscious.
At present, India produces more than 70 per cent of the world's jaggery, and more than three million people earn their livelihood from this cottage industry.
Health benefits of jaggery
With its taste of rich caramel and spicy molasses, jaggery, or unrefined cane sugar, can be likened to Latin American panela and Portuguese muscovado.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation has recognised dehydrated sugar cane juice and its products for their non-centrifugated nature, meaning the glucose, fructose and mineral residues present in jaggery have not been destroyed or contaminated by refining.
The high iron and folate content means it is excellent for pregnant and lactating mothers
Anushruti RK,
founder, DivineTaste.com
“Sugar is simply empty calories, while jaggery is rich in a number of essential nutrients, making it a power-packed source of nourishment,” says Kavita Devgan, a nutritionist from Delhi and author of Fix it with Food and Ultimate Grandmother Hacks. “It contains calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, manganese, sodium, zinc, copper, as well as vitamins A, B1, B2, B5, B6, C, D2, and E.
“Magnesium acts as a muscle relaxant, makes the nervous system more robust and helps beat fatigue, while potassium helps in reducing water retention and cut down on bloating.”
Jaggery is an active ingredient in many Ayurvedic medicines. For instance, it is used with ginger and tulsi (holy basil) to treat coughs and colds in the winter. Ayurveda recognises it as a “sattvic” food because of its calming effect on the mind. Jaggery is also rich in iron, can help boost haemoglobin levels and has anti-inflammatory properties.
Anushruti RK, founder of DivineTaste.com, a platform that focuses on sattvic food — the fresh-food-only vegetarian Ayurvedic diet is thought to promote happiness, energy and clarity in addition to calmness — is another proponent of the ingredient. “It is good for bone health, strengthens the lungs and builds immunity,” she says.
“The high iron and folate content means it is excellent for pregnant and lactating mothers, and can also ease menstrual pain and alleviate PMS symptoms.”
I add organic jaggery to my coffee or tea instead of sugar, because I prefer its earthy taste
Shilpa Rao,
engineer
Food curator and TV show host Rakesh Raghunathan was familiar with jaggery, which is used in many Indian kitchens, but it was only on a trip to rural Tamil Nadu that he realised its health benefits. “It was peak summer and I remember being given a piece of jaggery and a glass of warm water when I visited the farmers, only to learn that this customary ritual is followed because jaggery is a natural coolant for the body when it is mixed with water,” Raghunathan says.
A jaggery quota is also assigned to workers in many Indian mines, thermal power plants and cement factories so they don’t suffer from diseases such as TB, caused by particulate matter in the lungs, because jaggery works like a natural cleaner.
Usage, types and caveats
It is little wonder, then, that the ingredient is used in Indian, Thai, Burmese and other South Asian cuisines in sweet and savoury dishes. Jaggery can be used to balance spicy, salty and sour components, while its depth of flavour and taste make it favourable to sweeten kheer, halwas, chikki and other Indian sweetmeats.
“I add organic jaggery to my coffee or tea instead of sugar, because I prefer its earthy taste,” says Shilpa Rao, an engineer from Delhi. “I use it in chutneys and sauces to balance the flavours, and to make healthier versions of Indian sweets.”
The ingredient is an important part of harvest rituals in India, especially those that mark a new agricultural year. Some other preparations include: a sweet juice called paanakam, made with water, jaggery and peppercorns; a rice pudding called Pongal, made with lentils, jaggery, rice, ghee, cashew nuts and raisins; and ladoos, made with sesame seeds or peanuts and jaggery.
RK says jaggery can even be consumed by itself. “In the absence of dessert, a few pieces of jaggery is all I need to satisfy my sweet cravings.”
Jaggery can be manufactured from sugar cane juice and palm sap, and each has a distinct taste and flavour. Palm jaggery is considered superior — medicinally and nutritionally. In West Bengal, a treacle-coloured jaggery made from a date palm sap called nolen gur has a smoky taste and is available only in the winter. In Sri Lanka, jaggery is usually made using the syrup of the kithul palm tree or from coconut syrup.
While the ingredient is a healthy sugar — because its preparation does not involve the use of preservatives or synthetic additives — it does have a high glycaemic index. “This is why one should have only up to 15 grams per day, and people who have diabetes should avoid it because, refined or not, it is sugar,” says Dharini Krishnan, a dietitian in Chennai.
Another caveat is that sugar cane production itself might be prone to pesticide and herbicide use, so organic jaggery, which is more gold than brown, is a better bet.
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday Stuttgart v Cologne (Kick-off 10.30pm UAE)
Saturday RB Leipzig v Hertha Berlin (5.30pm)
Mainz v Borussia Monchengladbach (5.30pm)
Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)
Union Berlin v SC Freiburg (5.30pm)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (5.30pm)
Sunday Wolfsburg v Arminia (6.30pm)
Werder Bremen v Hoffenheim (9pm)
Bayer Leverkusen v Augsburg (11.30pm)
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company Profile
Company name: Big Farm Brothers
Started: September 2020
Founders: Vishal Mahajan and Navneet Kaur
Based: Dubai Investment Park 1
Industry: food and agriculture
Initial investment: $205,000
Current staff: eight to 10
Future plan: to expand to other GCC markets
The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
Price, base: Dh1,731,672
Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm
Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm
Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
MATCH INFO
Fulham 0
Aston Villa 3 (Grealish 4', Hourihane 15', Mings 48')
Man of the match: Jack Grealish (Aston Villa)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESmartCrowd%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2018%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESiddiq%20Farid%20and%20Musfique%20Ahmed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%20%2F%20PropTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%24650%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2035%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeries%20A%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EVarious%20institutional%20investors%20and%20notable%20angel%20investors%20(500%20MENA%2C%20Shurooq%2C%20Mada%2C%20Seedstar%2C%20Tricap)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Match info
Liverpool 3
Hoedt (10' og), Matip (21'), Salah (45 3')
Southampton 0
Sweet%20Tooth
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THE BIO
Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13
Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier
Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife
What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents.
Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.
Fixtures (all times UAE)
Saturday
Brescia v Atalanta (6pm)
Genoa v Torino (9pm)
Fiorentina v Lecce (11.45pm)
Sunday
Juventus v Sassuolo (3.30pm)
Inter Milan v SPAL (6pm)
Lazio v Udinese (6pm)
Parma v AC Milan (6pm)
Napoli v Bologna (9pm)
Verona v AS Roma (11.45pm)
Monday
Cagliari v Sampdoria (11.45pm)
The biog:
Favourite book: The Leader Who Had No Title by Robin Sharma
Pet Peeve: Racism
Proudest moment: Graduating from Sorbonne
What puts her off: Dishonesty in all its forms
Happiest period in her life: The beginning of her 30s
Favourite movie: "I have two. The Pursuit of Happiness and Homeless to Harvard"
Role model: Everyone. A child can be my role model
Slogan: The queen of peace, love and positive energy
Honeymoonish
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Elie%20El%20Samaan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENour%20Al%20Ghandour%2C%20Mahmoud%20Boushahri%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Haltia.ai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202023%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECo-founders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Arto%20Bendiken%20and%20Talal%20Thabet%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20AI%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2041%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20About%20%241.7%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Self%2C%20family%20and%20friends%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
