Trade Fair 2021: Jaggery that is worth its weight in gold

Jaggery has always been part of a poor man’s diet. A piece of jaggery and roasted chana takes a man a long way. But if that jaggery is priced at rupees 51,000 a kg things get really curious. To put an end to this curiosity and to see (as tasting it may prove too costly) one has to make a quick trip to the Uttar Pradesh Pavillion of the India International trade fair 2021.

With the onset of the winter season comes the thrill of eating a variety of comfort and warm food! Gur, or jaggery, is among them, and it works excellent with Makki ki roti, Sarson da saag, and other piping hot treats, as well as on its own. Gur has been an intrinsic part of our grandmother recipes and everyone absolutely loves them.

Anandam Gold Jaggery, is at the centre of attraction at the Trade Fair as people are intrigued wondering what it contains that makes it so expensive. And here is the answer straight from the man behind it. According to the owner of the shop, Avinash Chandra Dubey, every bite of Anandam Gold jaggery contains 24-carat gold. It is completely encased in 24-carat goldwork. The ingredients include silver and strange-sounding herbs such as swarna and  Bang Bhasma Ras Sindoor. In addition, it contains a whole lot of dry fruits and some other 21 kinds of herbs.

The stall offers other expense kinds of jaggery too. Like there is one called simply Anandam jaggery, which costs Rs 8000 per kilogramme and has all the elements except goldwork. The stall has in addition over 100 different flavours of jaggery including ginger, garlic, coriander, rose, and jasmine.

Avinash Chandra Dubey started this jaggery business in 2017. He claims that his jaggery is chemical-free with no preservatives. Says he, “Gur is one the healthiest food and a tiny amount of jaggery can help build immunity and strengthen metabolism.”
 

Ayodhya Jaggery offers its product in a huge variety. Some of which are Mantram in Ayurveda (to relieve stress and insomnia), Kushagram (memory booster), Mahabali (to strengthen the muscles of the body) Jaggery Gulab, Jaggery Fennel, Jaggery Cardamom, Jaggery Giloy, Jaggery Turmeric, Jaggery Chocolate, Jaggery Sesame, Jaggery Peanut and 42 more types of jaggery.

Dubey says, "Today, most children are not fond of jaggery and other items likewise. They are more inclined toward junk food like pizza, pasta and momo. However, one thing every child loves is chocolate, so in 2019, I came with the idea of chocolate, strawberry and vanilla jaggery, and I got a good response for it."

He told us that he had zero knowledge and no experience about being in this business and it wasn't easy initially, but he learned gradually, and his Ayodhya Jaggery took off.

He advises all his customers to take 10-10 grams of pure jaggery in the morning and evening after meals for good health. If you still haven't visited IITF 2021, hurry as tomorrow is the last day of it. Otherwise, you'll miss out on the opportunity to see the gold jaggery!