Hare Krishna!
I was just wondering, a lot of recipes in ISKCON cookbooks and those online, and in general, a lot of foodstuffs cooked contain sugar. What I'm confused about however, is the fact that a lot of a lot of refined sugar companies nowadays produce sugar that isn't exactly vegetarian because they're filtered with animal bone char to remove impurities and to whiten the sugar. Eventhough the sugar itself doesn't contain bone char particles, sometimes it can be considered as not vegetarian as the sugar comes into contact with bone char. So can we or should we not consume sugar?
Sorry for any offenses, I hope everyone is having a good day :)
Replies
Hare Krishna,
We should not be using this white crystal sugar. Infact after coming to know of it, we have stopped using white sugar. Instead we use Brown color sugar (which is expensive), Bura Khand (which is not pure white) and Natural Jaggery (red in color not whitish) - because more the whiter more chemicals in it. But we still have to honor prasadam cooked in white sugar made in the temple or Prasadam cooked by some other devotee. More awareness is required among devotees and non-devotees.
I have heard from the people who have seen sugar factories that now instead of buying bone powders to whiten the sugar, the animal bones from slaughter houses are coming directly to the sugar factories to make bone powder to reduce the cost further in making white crystal sugar. And these trucks with animal bones come to these sugar factories at night.
Sorry for any offenses.
Hare Krishna Vasudev Prabhu...
Thanks for your simple and eye opening explanation.
What you explained is very true. Not only sugar but few more ingredients must be avoided for future healthy KC life.
Reduce, Replace or Stop using Seven Items;
1. Sugar
2. Sea Salt (we must use Sendha Namak)
3. White Flour
4. Butter (produce using milk of HF, Jersey or non indigenous cows) of all most all available brands in market.
5. Ghee & Oil (Milk Fat or Butter Oil of HF, Jersey or non indigenous cows) of all most all available brands in market including Patanjali Desi Cow Ghee, Mother Dairy, Amul, Goverdhan etc.
There are few more food items which are only used for Test but having ill effects on our physical plus spiritual health. In order to have healthy body to perform our daily material and spiritual duties one must learn basic principle of Ayurveda. Unfortunately, some of us know about it but can't avoid and other unknowingly harming health of their dependents (home, temple or in general) by using those items.
It's good to know that now a days devotees are learning those thing and changing their lifestyle. Body is boat to cross the ocean of material whirlpool. If we ignore or become careless then we are the one to suffer either materially or spiritual.
Hare Krishna.
No. We must make them make the pure vegetarian sugar the way we want. This is Bharat. Our own free country. If we do not get food the way we want where will we get it? In Saudi? In Pakistan?
It is assumed that Indians and Hindus are fools and can be cheated by anyone any time. 100% pure vegan India is slowly getting adulterated. Reason ? Leaders are not powerful.
where do we can order natural brown sugar online prji ?
ys
You can order online on any grocery portal depending on where you are located. Jaggery powder (blackish red), Bura Khand and brown sugar also available at big super markets. You would need all 3 depending on what you are making for offering. Try with small quantity of each to learn more.
Ys