Jaggery in block form is the oldest sweetener in the Indian kitchen. Cane juice boiled down and set hard, keeping the molasses that refining removes.

It is not simply brown sugar. It tastes of caramel and smoke and it behaves differently in cooking.

Break off what you need with a knife or the back of a spoon. Use it in chai, in sweets, in tamarind chutney where it balances the sourness, and in South Indian dishes where a little sweetness is part of the balance.

In the pantry aisle at Curry Corner, North Melbourne.