Until recently, the air of Veeramangudi in Papanasam taluk of Thanjavur district in Tamil Nadu was fragrant with the aroma of caramelized sugarcane juice, thanks to the more than 100 family-run jaggery units here. However, recently these factories have started closing down due to the attack of yellow leaf disease in the sugarcane crop.
In their heyday, these units specialized in soft and fluffy Acchu Vellam (The jaggery is set in cubic wooden moulds). The 2024 application for the Geographical Indication (GI) tag by the Veeramangudi Achuvellam Producers Association, Thiruvaiyaru, shows that factories in and around the village produce about 245 tonnes of jaggery (7,000 bags of 35 kg each) annually.
Acchu Vellam P. Satyaseelan, a third-generation farmer and jaggery maker from Veeramangudi, says producers here supply to big retailers in Thanjavur and also sell their stock at the Nekkarapatti jaggery market near Palani. He says, “It is no longer a profitable business. We are running it only because it is our family tradition and we do not want it to disappear like other rural businesses.”
30 kg bag of Veermangudi Acchu Vellam Generally its price in the market is around ₹ 1,350. “It is quite a reasonable price, but recently, due to the unfruitful crop, we have been unable to get even this,” says Satyaseelan.
To make Veeramangudi, sugarcane juice is cooked until it caramelizes and thickens before being poured into a wooden mold Acchu Vellam. | Photo courtesy: R. Wangadesh
Close-up view of freshly made Veeramangudi Achchu Vellam cubes. | Photo courtesy: R. Wangadesh
integral part of tamilnadu
Jaggery is an emotional ingredient of Asian cuisine. It is used in home remedies, Ayurvedic medicines and as wedding gifts, and its flavor is defined in traditional sweet dishes. Pongal, Thothal/ dodol And ChikkiBesides being a spice stabilizer sambar And Rasam.
In Tamil Nadu, one of the five major sugarcane producing states of India (along with Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Gujarat), many rural communities depend on jaggery production from sugarcane (known as jaggery). vellum) and palm sugar (Karuppatti) to meet the needs of large retailers, especially during the festive season running from October to March.
During the Pongal festival being celebrated across the state this week, the construction of Sakkarai Pongal – a sweet preparation made of freshly harvested rice, moong dal and jaggery cooked in earthen pots on a wood stove – is a treasured ritual symbolizing prosperity and thanksgiving.
‘Sakkarai Pongal’, a sweet preparation made from rice, moong dal and jaggery, is a staple of the Pongal festival celebrations in Tamil Nadu. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
traditionally, vellum Manufacturers are farmers who grow their own sugarcane, and process it to make molasses in small thatched sheds within their farms. Sugarcane bagasse (dry pulpy residue left after juicing) is used as fuel to cook jaggery syrup on large flat bottomed pans.
Largely a self-sustaining cottage industry, jaggery hotspots in Tamil Nadu include Salem, Erode, Namakkal, Madurai and Virudhunagar. Many villages in the Cauvery delta region also produce artisanal jaggery in significant quantities.
Other GI-tagged jaggery variants
Marayur Sharkara, Kerala
Handmade, with a distinctive non-salty sweetness, and commonly used in Ayurvedic medicine
Kolhapuri Gul, Maharashtra
Most exported variety from India
Muzaffarnagar Jaggery,Uttar Pradesh
The city has India’s largest jaggery market, accounting for 20% of the country’s total jaggery production.
Made with care and precision
A master cook and his assistant stir the sugarcane juice continuously for two hours until it thickens. | Photo courtesy: R. Wangadesh
Recently, before heavy rains lashed the Cauvery delta region, farmer Aravinth and his colleagues prepared a batch Acchu VellamWith a mix of old and new technology. Gone were the cattle-powered juicing machines, replaced by noisy motorized threshers. The juice is directed through a built-in channel KopraiA huge metal flat pan set on a high earthen stove which is fired from large batches of bagasse fibre. A master cook and his assistant stir the juice continuously with the help of long paddle spoons for two hours until it thickens. “You can’t leave the mixture unattended as it can easily burn once caramelization begins,” says Satyaseelan.
Workers pour and flatten hot jaggery syrup into wooden molds at a traditional workshop near Thanjavur. | Photo courtesy: R. Wangadesh
The concentrated cane sugar syrup is removed from the pan and left for a while before it is poured into the pan achu (Mould) In a wooden frame. After about 15 minutes, the molded jaggery is taken out of the frame, cured for 30 minutes, and then packed into sacks.
Rows of traditionally molded Aachu Vellam (jaggery) cubes are laid out to cool. | Photo courtesy: R. Wangadesh
on the cusp of change
Labour-intensive manufacturing techniques have reduced the number of jaggery producers in many areas of Tamil Nadu. Modern-day industrial mills have shifted processing from farms to factories. M. Karthikeyan, secretary, Tamil Nadu Jaggery Merchants Association, Madurai, says, “Many farmers are moving away from sugarcane cultivation as it requires extra labor to harvest. And with the prolonged hot weather pattern, most of the crop is used to make juice or refined sugar. Only those with financial resources can produce jaggery profitably.”
However, health conscious urban consumers are increasing the demand for good quality jaggery. “In today’s culinary world, where farm-to-table and local ingredients are used for sustainability, jaggery naturally stands out. It is made with very little processing, unlike refined sugar,” says MS Raj Mohan, chef and head, department of hotel management, GTN Arts College, Dindigul.
Mohan says that jaggery is better than white sugar in its taste and aroma. “In classic recipes, replacing jaggery with white sugar changes the taste, texture and overall soul of the dish. It blends well with spices like cardamom, ginger, cumin and black pepper, and contains minerals like iron, calcium and potassium.”
nahl.nainar@thehindu.co.in
