Is Brown Sugar the Same as Jaggery?
Cookies!!! Who loves cookies? I love a classic chocolate chip cookie. By far, the best cookies in the game and always will be. There is also this comforting aroma of freshly baked cookies that is unmatchable to anything else. You can have a long and tiring day but when you come home and smell the transformation of cookie dough, it can bring anyone into high spirits.
What are the key ingredients that usually go into a cookie? Flour, eggs, butter and of course sugar! For chocolate chip cookies two types of sugar are usually combined, white sugar and light brown sugar or dark brown sugar.
What is the difference between light and dark brown sugar? The answer boils down to simply the amount of molasses each one has. According to an article on Serious Eats, light brown sugar has about 3.5% molasses per total volume of sugar while dark brown sugar has 6.5%. Dark brown sugar has more of a caramel or toffee flavor when compared with light brown sugar. The article also states that though these sugars could be used interchangeably, they are not the same since dark brown sugar weights mo re and is more acidic. The primary difference one will notice by using these sugars interchangeably is the taste and texture. What I found interesting was how because of the slightly higher acidity of the brown sugar, it activates the baking soda, in cookies for example, causing the cookies to rise slightly higher. Just to add in, replacing brown sugar for white sugar especially in baking is unadvisable.
Now, what is jaggery? If it hasn't been clear already, brown sugar and jaggery are not the same. The process of creating jaggery is less extensive than other sugars. Based on a Food52 article, jaggery is a natural brown sugar made from either palm sap (which could be from coconut, date, sago or toddy palms) or from sugar cane juice. The author explains that the sap or cane juice is boiled and reduced to a crystalline syrup which is then poured into either molds to harden or vigorously scraped and hardened to become granulated. Brown sugar, for example, is attained through multiple refinement processes. It is boiled down, crystalized, centrifuged and then molasses is added back in based on a certain percentage. Some times the process varies but you get the point, there are more steps involved in creating brown sugar when compared to jaggery.
Is jaggery healthier? Well, from what I gather, jaggery is not explosively healthy when compared with brown sugar or any other sugar. But it is probably a healthier alternative. According to a dietitian, Silky Mahajan, jaggery contains traces of B vitamins and minerals and helps with blood purification, metabolism and the nervous system. It even assists with cough and cold when it is taken with ginger and honey. It is also considered as a good cleansing agent for the stomach, lungs, intestines, esophagus and respiratory tract. However, the dietitian also advises that if jaggery is not taken in moderation there can be significant disadvantages as well but this is true with most sugars. If you want to learn of more nutritional facts, I have listed a link to her article below.
What does jaggery taste like? Well, there are various types of jaggery since it can come from different types of palm saps or sugar cane juice. The ones that I am mostly familiar with are dark brown and usually come from sugarcane. The taste is almost like a smokey bitter toffee that is heavy on the molasses flavor. I have tasted a type of jaggery called Kolhapuri and I would describe it more sugary than having that bitter toffee taste. So it can vary, but the usual ones that are sold in the United States tend to be dark brown colored jaggery that are derived from sugar cane juice.
Overall, learning about the difference between jaggery and brown sugar has made it clear to me that these two sugars are definitely not the same. Each one brings a unique flavor and should be used interchangeably with knowledge of these differences. I am excited to include more jaggery into future recipes to test out the flavor profile of this marvelous sugar.
Links to websites mentioned/referenced:
https://www.seriouseats.com/2014/05/whats-the-difference-between-light-and-dark-b.html
https://food52.com/blog/22409-what-is-jaggery-and-how-to-use-it
https://www.practo.com/healthfeed/white-sugar-vs-brown-sugar-vs-jaggery-vs-honey-39126/post
https://kolhapur.gov.in/en/kolhapuri-jaggery/