Sugar has over ten variants or types but is manufactured from a common plant - sugar cane or beet sugar. The color of the sugar is refined through the entire process of manufacturing.
On the other hand, jaggery is known as unrefined sugar and is also the product of sugarcane.
While both sugar and jaggery are sweeteners used for various edible purposes, the manufacturing process is different from the other. Therefore, it is imperative to make the best choice of your natural sweetener.
Manufacturing Sugar and Jaggery
As mentioned, while we consume sugar or jaggery daily, some may not know the difference, and most importantly, the benefits.
Manufacturing Sugar:
Traditionally, sugar followed the manufacturing process involving extracting the juice and dried under sunlight. However, the process has changed drastically today. Refined sugar at the market indicates a different process involving artificially removing and adding vitamins. However, there are some pros and cons to the way sugar is refined or manufactured today.
● Processed sugar is unnatural because of the use of chemicals to get the end product.
● Because of its artificial nature, sugar is not the best for health, especially when taken in excessive amounts.
Manufacturing Jaggery
Jaggery, on the other hand, goes through a natural process before the final product.
Sugarcane juice is first extracting and boiled to extract the thickness of the plant. After hours of cooling, the result is jaggery. However, jaggery also uses one chemical to maintain the color of the sugarcane juice, which is brown.
● Jaggery is healthier for the human body compared to sugar.
● Improve digestion can be the result of consuming jaggery.
● Even if it is safe for diabetic patients, like sugar, it must be consumed judiciously.
The significant difference between sugar and jaggery is the separation process. To get the end product - sugar, the thick juice extract from the sugarcane is called molasses. Molasses are brown and can be added to get brown sugar as well. For the manufacturing process of brown sugar, molasses must be added to balance the processing and get the right texture.
Jaggery, on the other hand, is manufactured without separating the thick juice extract or molasses. Therefore, the immediate result of jaggery stops when the juice is cooled. Even with jaggery, the presentation can be tweaked here and there to get the desired shape and size for various edible needs.
Conclusion
It is essential to note that all types of sugar follow a different pattern of achieving their result. For example, white sugar and brown sugar are manufactured without and with a limited amount of molasses, respectively. Brown sugar is considered healthier because it uses molasses.
In the end, jaggery holds more nutritional value than all types of sugar. The lesser chemicals and manufacturing processes it goes through, the higher the benefits. Jaggery has more iron and minerals compared to sugar. Those with high sugar levels can opt for jaggery as a sweetener rather than sugar. Jaggery, however, has a comparatively lower sweetness than sugar because of its natural specifications.
