Jaggery, or ‘Gud’ as it’s known in India, is a traditional unrefined sweetener. Unlike white sugar, jaggery retains many of the natural minerals and vitamins from sugarcane. Its journey begins in vast green sugarcane fields, where the stalks are harvested. The juice is then extracted, clarified, and slowly boiled in large, open pans until it thickens into a golden-brown syrup. This syrup is then cooled and poured into molds, solidifying into the blocks or lumps of jaggery we all recognize. It’s a process passed down through generations, yielding a wholesome sweetener.