Jaggery is an unrefined sweetener which is popular in India. Jaggery is called Gur in India. It is an unrefined sugar made from sugarcane or palm. India makes 70% of jaggery. Jaggery is also used in Asia and Africa. Jaggery comes in many forms. It is mostly sold in solid block, liquid form and in granulated form. In taste, jaggery has overtones of molasses and has a highcontent of molasses.
In India Jaggery is supposed to be used instead of sugar. Jaggery has a taste which is less sweet than maple sugar and slightly thicker than honey.
Jaggery can be described as a cross between spicy molasses and sweet caramel. It is much more complex than refined sugar so it helps to not increase sugar levels very quickly. Although jaggery is better than refined sugar it is not recommended for diabetics since it is still sugar.
In India jaggery is used in cooking by grating the block jaggery and also liquid and granulated forms can be used. Jaggery can be stored in refrigerator or in the pantry. It has a long shelf-life of 6 months to a year.