White jute isn’t anywhere near as popular as it once was, but historical records suggest that this fabric used to be the main textile used to clothe the common people of the Bengal region of India. As its name suggests, white jute is lighter in color than other strains of this fiber, but this type of jute is also less durable than its cousins.
Tossa jute is the main type of jute in production today. It is a hardy crop, and it yields more fiber than white jute. In color, tossa jute is more brown than off-white, and its fibers are just as long and strong as any other type of jute in existence.
Mesta jute is a hybrid of white jute and tossa jute. While this type of jute wasn’t popular historically, political complications during India’s tumultuous independence period led to the prominence of this type of jute’s production.