What Sugar in Bengali Sweets Hides, and What Khejur Patali Gives
A traditional Bengali spread featuring nolen gur delights and classic sweets
The story of Khejur Gur is woven into Bengal's cultural fabric, stretching back nearly 4,000 years. Historian Niharranjan Roy, in his seminal work Bangalir Itihas Adiparva (History of Bengali Adiparva), notes that Nolen Gur appears in the 12th-century Sanskrit text Sadukti-Karnamrta by Sridhardas, compiled during the reign of King Lakshmana Sen. The palm sugar and palm products industry has been an essential traditional village industry in Bengal since ancient times, with mentions even found in Dharmapala's Khalimpur inscription.
Bengali literature has immortalized the art of Khejur Gur making. Narendranath Mitra's classic short story Ras (1973)—later adapted into the Hindi film Saudagar starring Amitabh Bachchan—poignantly captures the life of Motalef, a skilled shiuli (date palm tapper), whose livelihood and romantic fortunes rise and fall with the winter harvest of palm sap.
The word "ras" in Mitra's story hints at both the sweet palm juice and the passion of human desire.
If you're from outside Bengal and haven't yet experienced Khejur Gur in these winter classics, you're missing an essential taste of Bengali heritage. An here is something interesting to know:
Our beloved 'Khejur Patali' or Date-palm jaggery delivers 11 mg iron per 100 g—61% of adult RDA—while refined sugar offers virtually zero minerals.
Date Palm jaggery typically contains iron (11 mg), magnesium (70-90 mg), and potassium (1050 mg) per 100 g, whereas refined sugar provides 387 calories per 100 g and contains essentially only sucrose with negligible minerals. For practical use, a 10 g serving (roughly 2 teaspoons) of date-palm jaggery contributes about 1 mg iron versus none from sugar.
Who should choose what? Those managing anemia benefit from jaggery's iron; diabetics must limit both equally; health-conscious consumers gain modest mineral boosts if total free sugars stay under 20-25 g daily for adults as recommended by ICMR-NIN. A typical serving of Nolen Gur Payesh or Sandesh might contain 15-20 g of sweetener; consuming such delicacies 1-2 times during the winter season fits within guidelines if other added-sugar sources are minimal throughout the week.
But Bengali winters tempt us with more. The aroma of Pithe, the richness of Rasagolla, the creamy texture of Mishti Doi—all calling for that extra serving. Isn't it?
The Fine Craft of Making Khejur Gur
How Date Palm Jaggery is crafted is important to optimize the iron and mineral contents. Pratik Dutta Roy, co-founder of the HealthyFly group, a trusted online shopping portal of all Bengali exotic stuff—Khejur Patali, Nolen Gur, Gawa Ghee and much more, explains.
"We produce Khejur Gur from both Majhdia in Nadia district and Bankura. Gur produced in Majhdia has a distinct aroma, a rich taste and a lingering aftertaste thanks to the unique geoclimatic conditions of the area. It blends easily with other liquid bases and releases aroma instantly.
“Though Majhdia is more prominent for Patali or Nolen Gur production, Bankura’s Khejur Gur has a thicker texture and darker hue, which probably comes from higher iron content, that's my educated guess. Bankura’s Patali and Nolen Gur have unique taste profiles, which are different from Majhdia Gur. We source our Khejur Patali and Nolen Gur from both Majhdia and Bankura, we maintain about 120 date palm trees in Bankura."
"The preparation process is mostly the same in both places. The work begins in the early hours of winter mornings. Local sap collectors, a fast-fading tribe, known as shiulis, climb the trees and tap them for the fresh sap. We started with small groups of collectors, but as demand grew, we expanded to more groups—each group has five members who work in rotation", Pratik continues.
Pratik stresses that the timing is critical, "We wait until the temperature drops below 15°C, because that's when the sap quality is at its best for producing nolen gur. The collected sap is brought back quickly, before it begins to ferment, and then the boiling process begins."
The sap is poured into large vessels and heated over a steady fire. It has to be stirred constantly so the moisture evaporates evenly. Slowly, the liquid thickens, changes color, and takes on a glossy reddish-brown texture. At that point, the air fills with the unmistakable aroma of nolen gur—that rich, caramel-like scent that signals the jaggery is ready.
"That's the moment we know we've captured the essence of winter in Bengal", Pratik exclaims, "currently, our wide network of jaggery-makers gives us access to the time-tested methods of jaggery processing, keeping the iron, potassium and magnesium content optimum. Not only that, our control on the processing prowess creates a unique texture and color of the jaggery that's difficult to achieve otherwise."
Process variability, indeed, affects composition substantially. Jaggery mineral content fluctuates with palm sap harvest timing, boiling duration, and regional soil chemistry; iron might range 10-13 mg/100 g and phenolics 280-320 mg/100 g depending on processing rigor.
Macronutrients & Energy
How Date Palm Jaggery is crafted is important to optimize the iron and mineral contents. Pratik Dutta Roy, co-founder of the HealthyFly group, a trusted online shopping portal of all Bengali exotic stuff—Khejur Patali, Nolen Gur, Gawa Ghee and much more, explains.
"Though Majdia in Nadia district is more prominent for Patali or Nolen Gur production, Gur produced in Bankura has a thicker texture, likely that color comes from higher iron content, that's my educated guess. We source our Khejur Patali and Nolen Gur from Bankura, where we maintain about 120 date palm trees."
"The work begins in the early hours of winter mornings. Local sap collectors, a fast-fading tribe, known as shiulis, climb the trees and tap them for the fresh sap. We started with one group of collectors, but as demand grew, we expanded to three groups—each group has five members who work in rotation", Pratik continues.
Pratik stresses that the timing is critical, "We wait until the temperature drops below 15°C, because that's when the sap quality is at its best for producing nolen gur. The collected sap is brought back quickly, before it begins to ferment, and then the boiling process begins."
The sap is poured into large vessels and heated over a steady fire. It has to be stirred constantly so the moisture evaporates evenly. Slowly, the liquid thickens, changes color, and takes on a glossy reddish-brown texture. At that point, the air fills with the unmistakable aroma of nolen gur—that rich, caramel-like scent that signals the jaggery is ready.
"That's the moment we know we've captured the essence of winter in Bengal", Pratik exclaims, "currently, our wide network of jaggery-makers gives us access to the time-tested methods of jaggery processing, keeping the iron, potassium and magnesium content optimum. Not only that, our control on the processing prowess creates a unique texture and color of the jaggery that's difficult to achieve otherwise."
Process variability, indeed, affects composition substantially. Jaggery mineral content fluctuates with palm sap harvest timing, boiling duration, and regional soil chemistry; iron might range 10-13 mg/100 g and phenolics 280-320 mg/100 g depending on processing rigor.
Khejur Gur in Bengali Cuisine: Solid Patali and Liquid Nolen Gur
This section is for people outside West Bengal, who are yet to taste the wonder called Khejur Gur. Khejur Gur comes in two distinct forms, each with specific culinary applications:
Nolen Gur/Jhola Gur (Liquid Form): The first-cut liquid jaggery has a more delicate, syrupy consistency. It's drizzled over Chitoi Pithe (steamed rice pancakes), used to soak Rasagolla, or stirred directly into warm milk for a comforting winter drink. The liquid form carries the most intense smoky aroma.
Patali (Solid Form): The thicker, solidified jaggery is grated or shaved to make Sandesh, mixed into Pithe fillings, or dissolved in milk for Payesh and Kheer. Its concentrated form allows precise measurement and creates the rich, dark amber color in sweets.
There is, traditionally, no powdered form of Khejur Gur—its authenticity lies in these two traditional presentations that have been perfected over generations of Bengali craftsmanship.
A farmer harvesting sap from a date palm tree in a serene, misty morning landscape. The clay pots are tied to the trees, collecting the sweet sap, which will later be processed into 'Khejur Gur' (date palm jaggery).
A Deeper Look Into The Sugar Contents
Both date-palm and cane jaggery deliver around 375-383 kcal per 100 g, nearly matching refined sugar's 387 kcal. Jaggery contains 65-85 g sucrose plus 10-15 g fructose and glucose per 100 g, while refined sugar is 99.8% pure sucrose. The distinction lies in reducing-sugar content: jaggery's 10-15% fructose-glucose fraction produces slightly lower sucrose purity than sugar's near-100%.
This means a 10 g serving (about 2 level teaspoons, since 1 teaspoon equals 4.2 g) of any sweetener yields approximately 38-39 kcal—small enough for occasional use but significant when tallied across multiple sweet dishes during the winter season.
Sugar refining eliminates this variability, standardizing composition to pure sucrose but stripping all molasses-derived nutrients. Traditional Bengali sweets like Payesh, Sandesh, Rasagolla, and Kheer can be made with either Khejur Gur or refined sugar. The choice between them affects not just the mineral content, but also the distinctive smoky, caramel-like flavor that defines authentic Bengali winter cuisine.
Nutritional comparison of common sweeteners per 100 g and per 10 g serving.
Is date-palm jaggery really healthier than refined sugar for Bengali sweets?
Yes and no. Jaggery supplies iron (11 mg), magnesium (70-90 mg), and potassium (1050 mg) per 100 g—substantial compared to sugar's near-zero micronutrients. A realistic 10 g serving in your Payesh or Sandesh contributes about 1 mg iron (6% adult RDA) and 8 mg magnesium (2% RDA), which assists nutrient-deficient diets but won't cure deficiencies alone. Both remain concentrated sugars with similar calories; "healthier" means incrementally better mineral profile and authentic Bengali flavor, not a free pass to overconsume winter delicacies.
Micronutrients & Bioactives
Jaggery's mineral advantage stems from non-centrifugal processing. Jaggery contains phenolic compounds and is minimally processed, retaining molasses that refined sugar discards. Iron content—critical for hemoglobin synthesis—stands out, as we already showed. Potassium (1050 mg) aids electrolyte balance and helps reduce water retention. Magnesium (70-90 mg) supports nervous system function. Trace elements include calcium, phosphorus, and zinc in sub-gram quantities.
Phenolics—antioxidant compounds preserved in jaggery—reach 280-320 mg/100 g in some batches, though processing heat degrades these partially.
Refined sugar's centrifugal separation and chemical bleaching eliminate molasses entirely, leaving pure crystalline sucrose devoid of vitamins or minerals.
Bioavailability caveats apply. Non-heme iron from jaggery requires ascorbic acid or citric acid for optimal absorption; pair your Nolen Gur Payesh with seasonal oranges or amla to enhance uptake.
Processing, Standards & Labels
FSSAI now mandates displaying total sugar, salt, and saturated fat in bold letters and larger font on packaged foods, plus per-serve percentage contribution to RDA. RDA benchmarks include 50 g added sugar and 2000 kcal energy per adult daily. Labels must state: "Added Sugar: X g (Y% RDA per serve)" in bold.
HealthyFly lives up to the promise of transparency—sourcing authentic West Bengal jaggery and providing clear %RDA declarations helps consumers track intake against ICMR-NIN guidance to restrict sugar to 20-25 g/day for adults and avoid all added sugar for children under 2 years.
How to read labels: Locate "Nutritional Information" panel. Find "Total Sugars" and "Added Sugars" (bold text). Check per-serve amount in grams—divide by 4 to visualize teaspoons. Compare %RDA: if one serving supplies 20% RDA, five such servings meet the 50 g ceiling.
How much jaggery is reasonable during Bengali winter season?
But put aside all dietary statistics. By purchasing Khejur Gur you make a meaningful contribution to the community that brings the delicacy to your plate. The shiulis—that fast-fading tribe of sap collectors Pratik mentioned—work in increasingly difficult conditions. Climate change has altered the temperature patterns necessary for optimal sap flow (trees require consistent cold below 15°C), and rapid urbanization has reduced date palm groves across West Bengal.
The skill of climbing trees at dawn, judging the perfect moment for tapping, and boiling the sap to precisely the right consistency takes years to master—knowledge that is fast getting lost as younger generations are not interested in this arduous profession, where earnings are seasonal and not enough to run a family.
When you choose authentic Khejur Patali or Nolen Gur—whether from Bankura, Nadia's Majdia, or other traditional production centers—you're not just making a nutritional choice. You're participating in a culinary heritage that has sweetened Bengali winters for millennia, from the courts of Lakshmana Sen to today's family kitchens, keeping alive a tradition mentioned in Sanskrit poetry and celebrated in Bengali cuisine.
