By The Jaggery Project · Reviewed: 2026-04-30
Gur in English is jaggery. Jaggery is the unrefined block of sugarcane juice, boiled until it sets, that South Asian families have eaten for centuries. The Hindi word gur (गुड़) names the same food American grocery shelves and English recipe blogs label “jaggery.” Different language, same amber block.
This post answers the search — gur in english, jaggery in hindi, jaggery hindi name — directly, then walks through what gur is, where the word comes from, how it is used in Indian kitchens, and how it stacks up against refined sugar. For the deeper production story, read our pillar guide to what is jaggery. For the American sourcing landscape, see where to buy jaggery in the USA.
What Does “Gur in English” Actually Mean?
Gur in English is jaggery. The Hindi word gur translates to “jaggery” — the unrefined cane sugar made by boiling fresh sugarcane juice until it sets into solid blocks. Same food, different language. If a Hindi recipe says gur and an English recipe says jaggery, swap one word for the other and substitute one-for-one.
What Is Gur in English, Exactly?
Gur is a whole, unrefined cane product. Fresh sugarcane juice is boiled in open pans until the water cooks off and the syrup thickens enough to set hard at room temperature. Nothing is bleached out. No molasses is separated. The mineral fraction stays in.
Families across North India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal have made and eaten gur this way for centuries — as an after-meal bite, in seasonal rituals, and stirred into chai. Our mission to bring ancient Indian food wisdom into American kitchens starts with foods like this. The first question most people ask us at farmers markets is the one this post answers: what is gur in English, and how is it different from what I already know?
Is Gur the Hindi Name for Jaggery?
Yes. Gur is the Hindi, Urdu, and Punjabi word; jaggery is the English term. Both name the same product. The English word “jaggery” was borrowed from Portuguese jágara, which came from Malayalam chakkara — a South Indian word for sugar — when British administrators began documenting the food.
The confusion mostly happens in translation. English-language recipe blogs say “jaggery.” Recipes for readers who already grew up with it often say “gur.” The thing itself — boiled cane juice, set hard, sold by the block, ball, or as powder — does not change. If you searched jaggery in hindi or jaggery hindi name and landed here: the answer is gur.
What Other Names Does Jaggery Have Around the World?
Almost every sugarcane-growing culture has its own version of jaggery and its own name for it. Latin America makes panela in Colombia, piloncillo in Mexico, rapadura in Brazil, and chancaca in Peru. Japan presses Okinawan brown sugar called kokuto. The Philippines makes panutsa. All are boiled-cane products with the molasses retained.
Here is how a few of the best-known names line up:
| Name | Region | Typical Form |
|---|---|---|
| Gur | North India, Pakistan, Nepal | Block, ball, or powder |
| Jaggery | India (English), global export | Block or powder |
| Bellam / Vellam | South India (Telugu, Tamil) | Block or cylindrical cake |
| Panela | Colombia, Venezuela | Flat block or round |
| Piloncillo | Mexico | Cone-shaped |
| Rapadura | Brazil | Brick |
| Kokuto | Okinawa, Japan | Coarse dark block |
The differences are mostly shape, color, and the cane variety. The making is essentially the same craft across every region — the way sourdough is essentially the same craft across every country that bakes bread.
Where Does the Word “Gur” Come From?
The word gur traces to Sanskrit guda, meaning a ball or lump — a literal description of how traditional jaggery was shaped after cooking. That root also gave South India its words vellam (Tamil) and bella (Kannada). The English word “jaggery” arrived later, borrowed from Portuguese jágara, which came from Malayalam chakkara meaning sugar. Two language families, one food.
How Is Gur Used in Indian Cooking?
Gur is a daily food in many North Indian kitchens. In winter it goes into til laddoos (sesame jaggery balls), gajak (a brittle), and chikki (peanut jaggery candy). It is added to dal in some regional recipes to round out the acid from tamarind, and stirred into chai across Punjab and Bengal as gur wali chai.
Quietly, it is also eaten on its own — a small piece after a meal, the way some cultures eat an after-dinner mint. Ayurvedic tradition recommends this side-bite finish as a digestive aid.
How Does Gur Compare to White Sugar?
Gur retains the mineral fraction — iron, magnesium, potassium, trace B vitamins — that is removed when sugarcane is refined into white sugar (IFCT 2017). A 10g piece of gur contains roughly 1.1mg iron, 16mg magnesium, and 140mg potassium. White sugar contains essentially none of those.
But gur is still sugar. It is 65 to 85 percent sucrose by composition. The glycemic index is modestly lower than white sugar (around 84 vs. 100), but it is not a clinical intervention. It is food. If you are managing blood sugar for medical reasons, speak with your doctor. Gur is a sweet whole food, not a health supplement. What makes it better than refined sugar is everything the refining process was designed to remove.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is gur the same as jaggery?
Yes. Gur is the Hindi and Urdu name for jaggery. They are two words for the exact same food — boiled sugarcane juice set into blocks with the molasses fraction retained. American recipes call it jaggery; South Asian recipes often say gur. Substitute one-for-one without adjustment.
What is jaggery called in Hindi?
Jaggery is called gur (गुड़) in Hindi and Urdu. In Punjabi, the word is also gur. In South Indian languages, the same product is called bellam (Telugu) or vellam (Tamil). The English word “jaggery” was borrowed from Malayalam chakkara via Portuguese.
Can I substitute gur for jaggery in recipes?
Yes, directly, one-for-one. They are the same product. The only variable is form — powdered gur dissolves faster than a block, so if a recipe calls for “grated jaggery” you may want to shave a block or buy powdered gur to match the texture.
What is the difference between gur and brown sugar?
Brown sugar is refined white sugar with molasses added back in. Gur is the original unrefined product — molasses never separated from the sugar in the first place. Gur is more mineral and caramel-forward; brown sugar is cleaner and simpler.
Where can I buy gur in the USA?
Most Indian grocery stores stock it under the name “jaggery” or sometimes “gur.” Online, specialty brands and Indian importers sell it. Quality markers: dark amber to deep brown color, no chemical smell, and ideally labeled as chemical-free or sulphur-free.
About The Jaggery Project
Our mission is bringing ancient Indian food back to the table — gur, bellam, panela, and every regional cousin. Every name points to the same idea: do not strip the food clean. The craft of jaggery, quietly held in South Asian kitchens for centuries, deserves a wider audience. We show up at farmers markets, write pieces like this one, and work with partners so the category can grow in America.
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