So many varieties of jaggery available in the market, how can one pick the best — which is unadulterated and chemical-free?

“To clean jaggery, soda and some chemicals are used. Ideally, the colour of the jaggery should be dark brown. The white or yellowish color in gur may indicate chemical treatment,”

White or light brown jaggery might be adulterated using chemicals and artificial colours. These include calcium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate. Calcium carbonate is added while processing jaggery to increase the weight, while sodium bicarbonate helps give a polished look.

Jaggery that is dark brown or black, is chemical-free, and is thus, the most organic, chemical-free gur. This is because sugarcane juice when boiled provides dark brown or black jaggery. But when chemicals are added to treat it, it becomes more whiter in appearance