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Jaggery is the traditional unrefined sugar used in India. The traditional name for jaggery is "Bella" in Kannada, "Bellam" in Telugu, "Vellam" in Tamil, "gur" in Hindi, Punjabi, and Gujarati.

Though the word jaggery is used for the products of both sugarcane and the date palm tree, technically, jaggery refers solely to sugarcane sugar. The sugar made from the sap of the date palm is both more prized and less available outside of the districts where it is made. Hence, outside of these areas, sugarcane jaggery is sometimes called gur to increase its market value. The sago palm and coconut palm are also now tapped for producing jaggery in southern India. In Mexico and South America, similar sugarcane products are known as panela, or piloncillo. Filipinos called it as panocha, and it is eaten, usually in the provinces where sugarcane is one of its crops. In Haiti it is called rapadou.

All types of the sugar come in blocks of pastes of solidified concentrated sugar syrup heated up to 200°C. Traditionally, the syrup is made by boiling raw sugarcane juice or palm sap in a large shallow round-bottom vessel as shown here.

Jaggery is considered by some to be a particularly wholesome sugar and, unlike refined sugar, retains more mineral salts. Moreover, the process does not involve chemical agents. Indian Ayurvedic medicine considers jaggery to be beneficial in treating throat and lung infections; Sahu and Saxena^[1] found that in rats jaggery can prevent lung damage from particulate matter such as coal and silica dust (1994).

Jaggery is used as an ingredient in both sweet and savory dishes across India and Sri Lanka. For example a pinch of jaggery is added to Sambar, Rasam and other gravies which are staples in Southern India. It is also a delicacy in its own right. The great Indian chef and cookbook author Madhur Jaffrey writes about a jaggery board, like a cheese board, as a type of dessert course in a Bengali dinner, with varieties of palm and sugar cane jaggeries offered, differing in taste, color, and solidity. Jaggery is also molded into novelty shapes as a type of candy. Other uses of jaggery include jaggery toffees and jaggery cake made with pumpkin preserve, cashew nuts and spices. Jaggery may also be used in the creation of alcoholic beverages.^{[citation needed]}

Jaggery is also considered auspicious in many parts of India, and is eaten raw before commencement of good work or any important new venture.^{[citation needed]}

Muzaffarnagar District in Uttar Pradesh has the largest Jaggery Market in India followed by Anakapalli of Visakhapatnam District in Andhra Pradesh. Both are termed to be the biggest and second biggest in the entire world.

In Myanmar, jaggery, known as htanyet, is harvested from toddy palm syrup. In Central Myanmar and around Bagan (Pagan), toddy syrup is collected solely for the purpose of making jaggery. The translucent white syrup is boiled until it becomes golden brown, and then made into bite-sized pieces. Jaggery, called hta-nyet, which means 'toddy lick' is considered a sweet, and is eaten by children and adults alike, usually in the afternoon along with a pot of green tea. It has been referred locally as Burmese Chocolate. The toddy palm jaggery is also sometimes mixed with coconut shreddings, plum puree or sesame, depending on the area. This type of jaggery is also used in Burmese cookings, usually to add colour and enrich the food.

It is a rich source of Iron due to the process involved (iron utensils)^{[citation needed]}

Besides its uses as a food, jaggery may also be used to season the inside of tandoor ovens.^{[citation needed]}

• Rapadura
• Sucanat
• Turbinado sugar
• Muscovado sugar
• Molasses

1. ^ Sahu, A. P. and Saxena, A. K (1994). Enhanced translocation of particles from lungs by jaggery. Environmental Health Perspectives, 102 Suppl 5, 211-214

• Study: "Enhanced Translocation of Particles from Lungs by Jaggery" - A web copy of the study cited above.
• Step by step illustrated process of jaggery manufacture