User:Hashmita7/sandbox

Final Draft:

(I have detailed the history of jaggery as an Indian product in terms of early use, the development of the sugarcane industry in India, and modern times; including its use in Early Buddhism and Hinduism.

As for editing—I have reworded, cleaned up broken citations for and added citations to [!!] everything except for the “Uses” section. That section seems generally pretty anecdotal but does not have necessarily incorrect information, just not very cite-able. I did, however, cite whatever I could and also removed any particularly dubious claims.

I changed the structuring of the page; I divided it into “Etymology”, "History", “Production”, and “Uses” instead of the prior merged “Origins and production” section. I also majorly edited the language to reflect what the sources say, and added extra information wherever I could).

I have moved everything prior to the final draft onto my talk page.)

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Jaggery

Jaggery is a traditional non-centrifugal sugar consumed in Asia (especially South Asia), Africa, and Latin America. It is a concentrated, viscous, semi-solid mass made most commonly from cane juice—but also from date and palm sap—without separating  the molasses and crystals. Jaggery can vary from golden brown to dark brown in colour. It is composed of up to 50% sucrose, up to 20% invert sugars, and up to 20% moisture; as well as other insoluble matter, such as wood ash, proteins, and bagasse fibres. Jaggery is consumed directly, is used as a sweetening agent,  or is combined with foods such as peanuts, condensed milk, coconut and white sugar to make several locally marketed and consumed delicacies.

Jaggery—in its unrefined form—is known by various names (like panela) in other parts of the world. Jaggery-making is one of the most important cottage industries of India and is often viewed as a continuation of the cane-growing process.

Etymology

The word "jaggery" is derived from the Portuguese jágara, a corruption of the Malayalam chakkarā—which ultimately comes from the Sanskrit ‘śarkarā’, also the origin of the English word "sugar". Terms resembling the current “jaggery” can be dated back to records of 16^th century voyagers such as João de Barros, who called it “jagara”; Caesar Frederike, who speaks of “giagra”; and Barbosa who uses “xagara”.

History

Early Use

The earliest evidence of the processing of sugarcane dates back to 7^th-4^th centuries B.C. in Northern India, where Sanskrit and Pali texts about the manufacture of sugar were found. Sugarcane juice would be boiled down to a jaggery-like viscous mass for the purpose of easy transportation, medicine, or cooking. Jaggery started as a product of the ancient sugarcane extraction procedure using mills and presses driven by oxen. Ancient Buddhist texts describe the extraction process to take place in a yantra (or machine), a precursor to the still used ox-powered mortar and pestle.

Jaggery was thought to be a purified product that had priced medicinal and nutritive properties, but was also used as a sweetener . It was the “least pure” of the four products obtained from the expensive purification process—which involved boiling down the extracted juice to a third of its original volume, but was also the most commonly consumed one.

Jaggery formed the basis for the sweets that were served as a part of the main meal, as light snacks, or to visitors in Early Buddhist cuisine. Patrons of monasteries were offered "ascetic collations" of jaggery among other other sugar and fat-rich foods.

In the 5^th century, the Gupta emperors changed the state religion from Buddhism to Hinduism, and jaggery was promoted to the status of prasadam, or offering to the gods. Jaggery also appeared in rites of passage ceremonies, weddings, births, and other celebratory occasions.

The Sugarcane Industry

Jaggery production in the Indian subcontinent remained relatively unaffected by early advancements in sugar processing around the world Prior to introduction of the modern sugar industry in beginning of 20^th century, most sugarcane in India was utilized for manufacturing jaggery in rural areas.

When the first white sugar manufacturing company was set up by the Dutch in 1840, the jaggery industry still dominated the field. Jaggery was a cottage product, and white sugar a factory product with a different market and demand. Both, jaggery and white sugar industries existed side by side.

In the 1930s, with the modernisation of the sugar processing industry in India, refined cane sugar production was rapidly increasing, and the jaggery cottage industry—although also growing—was deemed less modern and started to lose its economical and cultural relevance. The jaggery industry was "virtually static" during the rapid growth phase of Indian sugar mills. Since then, the proportion of sugarcane used for producing jaggery has constantly been shrinking.

In Modern Times

In many parts of South Asia, jaggery has been considered the "sweetener of the masses" since ancient times. Due to its religious connotations and significance as a cottage industry product, it continues to take on that role—especially in more rural settings—even after the development of advanced, rigorous sugar-refining processes.

However, jaggery production and per capita consumption has been on the decline since the 1980s, similar to the state of other non-centrifugal sugars that require simple equipment and little capital—but lots of skilled labour—to produce. The proportion of sugarcane allocated to crystallised white sugar has increased from 33.5% in 1980-81 to 72% in 2013-14. In contrast, sugarcane utilized for jaggery has declined from 54% to 15% since then.

Moreover, traditional cottage production of jaggery—like in the Kolhapur district of Maharashtra—is less incentivised for workers because it requires more skilled labour for less pay, when compared to modernised sugar mills. The Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research deems "poor technological intervention" and "meagre financial support" responsible for the downfall of the jaggery industry in India. It calls for the sugar sector to modernise jaggery units in order to safeguard the economic interests of cane growers and jaggery manufacturers, since there is no market for the raw cane itself.

Jaggery is now often marketed as a health food, usually in urban areas or internationally. As an unrefined cane product, it is believed to contain the additional minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants that the raw juice contains (unlike refined sugar). Today, Jaggery continues to be considered invaluable to Hindu cuisine, especially as a base for most sweet prasadam, or offerings to the gods.

 Production

Historically, jaggery has most commonly been made of raw sugarcane juice. The date palm is also tapped for producing jaggery in West Bengal, South India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka. In Sri Lanka, syrup extracts from kithul (Caryota urens) trees are widely used for jaggery production.

Sugar cane cultivators used ox-driven crushers during ancient production, but they are now power-driven. Once cut and cleaned, sugar cane is put into the crusher, usually situated near the cane crop fields . The extracted cane juice is collected in a big vessel and is transferred to a smaller vessel for heating on a furnace.

The production of jaggery involves heating raw juice or blocks of solidified concentrated sugar syrup to 180-200 °C (392 °F). Traditionally, it is made by boiling raw sugarcane juice or palm sap in large, shallow, round-bottom vessels.

The vessel is heated for about one hour. Dried wood pulp from the crushed sugar cane is used as fuel for the furnace. Lime is added to the heated syrup for the purpose of separating impurities—like wood shavings—that float to the surface and are later skimmed off. Finally, the syrup is thickened and reduced to nearly one-third of the original volume. This hot golden liquid is repeatedly stirred and tested to see if it has reached the desired texture.The syrup is thought to have completely thickened when it forms multiple threads upon lifting with a spatula.  Before the advent of thermometers, the doneness of the jaggery would also be measured by rolling the hot reduced liquid into a ball, cooling it down in water, and throwing it against the pan . If the jaggery ball produced a sharp “cling” sound, it was thought to be ready.

Next, the jaggery is poured into a shallow flat bottomed tank to cool and solidify. The tank is large enough to allow only a thin coat of the hot liquid to form at its bottom, so as to increase the surface area for quick evaporation and cooling. After cooling, the jaggery solidifies into a soft, malleable mass that is pressed into the required shape before it is ready to sell.

The quality of jaggery is determined by its color; brown signifies a product higher in impurities, while golden-yellow is associated with a purer product. As a result of this grading scale, artificial dyes and chemicals may be illicitly added to simulate the golden colour.

Uses

South Asia

Jaggery, also called Gurh or Gur (गुड़ in Hindi), is used in sweets in the cuisines of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. It is often added in small quantities to savoury dishes like sambar, rasam, and other staples. Jaggery is also added to lentil soups (dāl) to balance the spicy, salty and sour components with its sweetness, particularly in Gujarati cuisine.

The state of Maharashtra in India is the largest producer and consumer of jaggery, called gud (गुड़) in Hindi, "gul" (गुळ) in Marathi), and "gur" (گڑھ) in Urdu. Jaggery is used as a flavouring component in most vegetable dishes, curries, and dals and many desserts. It is especially used during Makar Sankranti for making called tilgul, a sesame-based dessert. A well-known Maharashtrian recipe, puran poli, uses it as a source of sugar.

In rural Maharashtra and Karnataka, water and jaggery are served as a form of refreshment when one arrives home after working in the heat. Traditional Karnataka sweets, such as paayasa, obbattu (holige) and unday use different kinds of jaggery. A pinch is commonly added to sambar (a.k.a. huLi saaru) and rasam (a.k.a. saaru). Karnataka produces sugar and palm-based jaggery. The Kolhapur District in western Maharashtra is famous for its variety of jaggery, which is yellow and much sought-after in Maharashtra and Gujarat. Mandya in Karnataka is known for its jaggery production.

In Gujarat, during Makara Sankranti, a similar preparation called tal na ladu or tal sankli is relished. Laddus in Gujarat are made of wheat flour and jaggery. In engagement ceremonies, jaggery is served mixed with coriander seeds (ધાણા).

In Andhra Pradesh, jaggery is used for sweets like Chakkara pongal, milk pongal (prepared with rice, milk, jaggery). During Sankranti, 'Arisalu', an authentic Andhra Pradeshi sweet is prepared.

In Kerala, jaggery is considered auspicious and is widely used in cooking. It is a vital ingredient in many varieties of payasam, a sweet dish.

In Tamil Nadu, jaggery is used exclusively as a sweetener. It is used in a dish called chakkarai pongal. Jaggery is prepared during the festival of Pongal (Thai Pongal), which is held when the harvesting season begins. Jaggery is also used to make kalhi, to sweeten fruit salads and payasam (sweet milk) that are used as offerings to the Gods. Jaggery is also used in religious rituals. In rural areas, cane jaggery and palm jaggery are still used to sweeten beverages, while refined crystallised sugar has replaced them in urban areas.

In Oriya cuisine, cakes or piṭhas contain jaggery. Some marmalades made of mango and Dillenia contain the ingredient.

In Bengali Hindu cuisine, jaggery—combined with coconut—is commonly used in making sweet dishes. Popular sweet dishes such as laḍḍu/laṛu or paṭishapta piṭha mix it with coconut shreds. Jaggery is molded into novel shapes as a type of candy.

Some of the popular sweet dishes of Assam. such as til-pitha (made of rice powder, sesame and jaggery), other rice-based pitha, and payas are also made of jaggery. In some villages of Assam, a salty red tea called cheleka-chah (licking tea) is often consumed with a cube of gurd (jaggery).

The Muzaffarnagar District in Uttar Pradesh has the largest jaggery market in the world, followed by Anakapalli in the Visakhapatnam District in Andhra Pradesh.

In Myanmar, jaggery is harvested from toddy palm syrup. In central Myanmar and around Bagan (Pagan), toddy syrup is collected solely for making jaggery. The translucent white syrup is boiled until it becomes golden brown and then made into bite-sized pieces. It is considered a sweet and is eaten by children and adults alike, usually in the afternoon with a pot of green tea. It has been referred to locally as Burmese chocolate. Toddy palm jaggery is sometimes mixed with coconut shreds, jujube puree or sesame, depending on the area. This type of jaggery is also used in Burmese cooking, usually to add colour and enrich the food.

Other uses

Other uses of jaggery include making it into toffees and cake with pumpkin preserve, cashew nuts, peanuts and spices.

Jaggery may be used in the creation of alcoholic beverages such as palm wine.

When mixed in an emulsion with buttermilk and mustard oil, jaggery is also used to season the inside of tandoor ovens.  It is also used as fabric dye and in hookahs in rural areas of Pakistan and India.

Jaggery is considered beneficial to health in traditional Ayurvedic medicine. For this reason, it is called "medicinal sugar" in India.

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