Khejur gur

A culinary gem in the world of Bengali foods, khejur gur encapsulates a seasonal, cultural and flavourful tradition in every golden drop. A revered traditional sweetener, cherished in West Bengal and Bangladesh for versatile culinary use, it’s made by first extracting sap from date palm stalks, which is then processed into concentrated jaggery. The gur’s distinct flavour profile is marked by richness, earthiness and subtle smokiness. Its texture can range from soft fudge to crystallised solidity, based on how it’s processed, while its colour palette can go from golden to dark brown, maintaining transparency. Used in confections like sandesh and payesh and typically available in winter, khejur gur captures date palm trees’ essence at their sap-flow peak.