CultureJuly 17, 2026
jaggery
/ˈdʒæɡəri/
Definition
A coarse, unrefined dark brown sugar made from the concentrated sap of certain palm trees or sugar cane.
Etymology
The word comes from the Portuguese 'jágara', which was derived from the Sanskrit word 'śarkarā', meaning 'gravel' or 'sugar' and referring to the substance's granular texture.
In the news
In this article, jaggery is mentioned as a key ingredient used by South Asian sweet shops in Bahrain to bind and sweeten traditional treats like ladoo.
The Middle East's smallest state offers some of the region's biggest flavours
Read the full article ↗National Geographic