Jaggery in Ayurveda

March 24th, 2007 | admin

Jaggery used as an Ayurvedic medicine comes from palms. Not date palm. But jaggery technically is a product from sugarcane. Such jaggery is unrefined sugar, without removing minerals. Both the jaggery are prepared without adding any preservatives of chemicals. The production of palm jaggery is concentrated mostly to southern Tamil Nadu and Kerala in south India.

Sugarcane jaggery in south India is known in the names – ‘sarkkara, chakkara, sakkara, sarkara, sharkara, charkara – all are variations of same name. Palm jaggery too are called different variations of a same name – karippotti, karippukatti, karippatti, karuppatti, karuppotti, karuppu katti, karippu katti, and panam chakkara. There can be more local variations for the name.

Karippatti kappi, or a palm jaggery coffee doesn’t have any trace of coffee, but has karippatti as main ingredient, with variable ingredients like tulsi leaves, pepper, thippali or Indian long pepper. The preparation is indeed very simple – karippatti and water are taken in a vessel and heated till boiling. Add the other ingredients. Boil till the karippatti pieces dissolve completely. Drink it warm. A quick fix medicine for common cold, cough etc, it dissolves mucus and clears the throat.

Sometimes sugarcane jaggery (juggery) too is used for same purpose, but is far less effective.