The GST Council is a finance body of the Indian government that has the power to modify, regulate and reconcile the goods and services tax in India. On Saturday 18th, during their 49th meeting, they announced that the tax on several items would be reduced and among them was Liquid Jaggery, also known as Raab, Rab or Kakvi.
During the meeting, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated that “Raab is a kind of liquid jaggery which is so typical to Uttar Pradesh and other jaggery-producing states. We are reducing the GST rate on Raab from 18% to nil or 5%. Nil if it is loose. If it is pre-packaged and labelled, it will be 5%.”
Source: Twitter
Liquid Jaggery is a staple, especially in North India where temperatures fall during winter. It’s often made into a warming, healthy drink made from flour, jaggery and ghee and is thought to boost immunity and provide natural energy. It’s especially popular among expecting mothers, children and the elderly. It’s also used as a remedy for colds and coughs thanks to its soothing effects on inflamed tissue.
Solid (or powdered) jaggery, which is more often seen in Indian kitchens is usually made from unrefined sugar which is obtained by boiling raw sugarcane juice concentrate. This gud is a preferred sweetener to commercial, refined sugar since it’s less adulterated but liquid jaggery is thought to be an even more pure product.
Liquid Jaggery is produced during the clarification of gud, as it’s heated the liquids boil out and the molasses is separated. This raw molasses can be further cooked down until the juice condenses into a thick liquid, essentially liquid jaggery. If all the liquid is boiled out, it becomes solid jaggery. This traditional ingredient can be used as a sweetener in most dishes that call for sugar but the most common use is in Bajra or Wheat Flour Raab where the liquid jaggery is cooked with flour and spices into a healthy delicious drink.
This age-old ingredient is among many other products like pencil sharpeners and certain tracking devices. Though this decision signals a move towards promoting and supporting India’s traditional food culture, a decision has not yet been made around lowering the taxes on millet and millet-based products as was hinted at earlier this year.