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Gud or Jaggery has been used in India for aeons as no other type of sugar was known here.
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In the 1600s, the Portuguese discovered it in Kerala. Cakkara, as it was known there, then became Xagara and eventually, Jaggery.
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Jaggery in India is traditionally made from either sugar cane or palm sap.
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Though the product is the same by and large, there are regional differences.
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Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Bihar and UP use sugarcane to make Jaggery.
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In West Bengal, Date Palm sap and Coconut palm sap are used to make gud. In Jharkhand, Palmyra sap is used, and in Goa, coconut palm sap.
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Gud here is purplish-black and is also used for medicinal purposes.
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Bihari gud is exposed to smoke after being made which gives it a smoky flavour and keeps ants away.
Do you regularly consume gud?
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