Palmyra Jaggery
What is it: Palmyra Jaggery (also known as Suga Vida by Conscious Foods) is the crystalised nectar collected from the flower of the Palmyra palm, grown in Sri Lanka, India and Thailand

Why it's a good option: Palmyra Jaggery is a traditional ayurvedic ingredient that is nutrient dense – 1 tablespoon provides 133% of daily vitamin B12 requirement, 222% of vitamin B6, 665% of your vitamin B1. It also has a glycaemic index of 40 making it less disruptive to blood sugar levels - by comparison, white sugar has a GI of 100 and no added nutritional benefit. Palmyra Jaggery is also organic, ethically sourced and a sustainable business for the communities who farm it.

When to use it: use it as a direct substitute for recipes that call for sugar. Often you can halve the amount of sugar being suggested.

How does it taste: It has a deep, warm caramel flavour which will improve most recipes.

Watch out for: Indian food markets may sell blocks of ‘Jaggery’ however usually it is not the real thing made from the palmyra palm and doesn’t confer the same nutritional benefits (there are very few palmyra plantations left).