Natural Sweeteners

Jaggery (வெல்லம்) – unrefined cane sugar with its molasses left in, the traditional sweetener of South Indian kitchens. Unlike white sugar, jaggery is not stripped during processing, which is why it keeps its dark colour, its mineral content and a deep, faintly smoky caramel flavour. That flavour is not interchangeable with sugar. It is the reason chakkarai pongal, adhirasam, ellu urundai and payasam taste the way they are supposed to. Its uses run through the whole South Indian repertoire. It sweetens pongal and payasam at festivals, balances tamarind in sambar and rasam, binds sesame and peanut ladoo, and is stirred into coffee and herbal kashayam. Many households simply finish a meal with a small piece of jaggery, a practice traditionally associated with digestion. Because it is unrefined, jaggery retains small amounts of iron, potassium, magnesium and calcium that refined sugar loses, although it remains a sugar and is best used in moderation. Store in a dry, airtight container. Jaggery draws moisture readily in humid weather and will soften or weep if left open. Break off what you need and reseal the rest promptly. Order online or over WhatsApp, with cash on delivery available.

Panankarkandu (பனங்கற்கண்டு) – crystallised palm sugar, the traditional Tamil sweetener kept in almost every household for coughs, coffee and pongal. Made by crystallising the sap of the palmyra palm, panankarkandu comes as irregular pale-gold crystals with a clean, gentle sweetness and a faint, almost floral note that neither white sugar nor jaggery reproduces. It dissolves slowly, which is why it is often just held in the mouth rather than cooked. Its best-known use is the household remedy for a dry throat or cough: a piece of palm candy on its own, or crushed and mixed with a little ghee or warm milk at night. Beyond that, it sweetens filter coffee and herbal kashayam, goes into panagam during Ram Navami, and is used in place of sugar in payasam and pongal by families who prefer it. As a minimally processed palm product, it retains trace minerals that refined sugar does not, and it is traditionally considered gentler than white sugar, though it remains a sugar. Store in a dry, airtight jar. Palm candy absorbs moisture quickly and the crystals will fuse into a block if left exposed to humid air. Order online or over WhatsApp, with cash on delivery available.