‘Sukari nguru’, the sugar balls from mumias sugar factory.

  

Date Posted: 2/4/2012 4:12:26 AM

Posted By: SimonMburu  Membership Level: Silver  Total Points: 838

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They are known as jaggery in English and many Kenyan kids especially in the rural areas use them as candies. They are a concentrate of sugar cane juice without the absence of molasses and crystals. They can be of different tastes from golden brown to dark brown depending on the amount of moisture content.

In some Asian countries it is used both as sweet and savory dishes, it is added to soups to make them tasty and in some cases to balance the spices.
Health experts claim that jaggery is healthier compared to refined sugar since it has all the minerals which are absent in refined sugars. It does not contain chemicals unlike the refined one, which undergoes some chemical processes during refinery.

For people who have stomach ulcers, jaggery is best known to reduce the amounts of acid in the stomach and in other cases; it is believed to be a cure for treating throat and lung (mild) infections.

In Africa, jaggery has the purpose of making traditional brews, which has sweet taste and is enjoyed during celebrations just like wine. ‘Muratina’ a famous Kikuyu brew is also made using jaggery where honey or sugar becomes a scarcity.

The following is a list of its name across different parts of the world;
1.rapadou in Haiti
2.sukari nguuru in Swahili
3.papelon in Venezuela
4.kokuto in Japan
5.namtan tanode in Thai
In Kenya the mumias sugar factory is best known for producing this product; other factories dump the thing as waste product.
For economic purposes jaggery can substitute refined sugar at home since it’s extremely cheap and can save your money. Half a kilogram of the jaggery stone can cost up to Ksh 30 at local markets in almost every town in Kenya.

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