Are you curious about what jute is? We’ve got you covered. Read on to learn more about this awesome fabric.

Jute is something that touches our lives every day but most of us aren’t aware of it. It may be in the clothes we’re wearing, the food we eat, the floors we walk on, and it’s essential to the transportation of many of the products we use daily.

As far as fibers go, it is second only to cotton in the quantity produced, and its applications are continuing to grow. Yet most of us don’t really give this humble fiber a second thought.

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In spite of that, it’s the most commonly produced plant because of its hardiness and greater yields. Because of its strength, the fiber is used in cloth to make shopping and shipping bags, and clothing. It’s also used as a culinary vegetable. It’s light brown in color, rather than off-white.

Corchorus capsularis, also called white jute, is lighter in color, but less durable and considered inferior to Tossa jute. It’s used to make ropes and yarn. Historically, it was used to make clothing in the poorest regions of India.

Mesta Jute is a hybrid of white and Tossa jute. It’s grown in areas where the climate isn’t suitable for white or Tossa jute.

The ends of the jute plant are also used. Although it is of inferior quality, it can be used for insulative purposes and as twine. Leftover stalks are used as fuel or building materials. The roots that are left in the ground after cutting serve to enrich the soil and prevent erosion.

How Jute is Grown and Processed

Jute is native to India and does best in hot, humid climates that have monsoon seasons. Today, 85% of all jute is grown in the Ganges River Delta of India (primarily in Bengal) and Bangladesh. It can also be grown in China, Thailand, Burma, and Bhutan.