Sunday, May 6, 2007

Jamu, the Indonesian magical drink

Well this drink was made by my East Timorese friend, who has a aunt who had lived in Indonesia sometime and learnt all kinds of esoteric stuff for health and beauty from there. Jamu according to my internet research is a herbal health drink which has been used for thousands of years to maintain youth and vitality. Originally these recipes were strictly guarded to be used for ladies of royal families only and were passed on from generation to generation by word of mouth. But, now they are popular drinks and are commercially produced for mass consumption.

There are several kinds of JAMUs for different purposes. This Jamu is supposed to be good for women's health, especially before periods... it cleanses the system and they say that it stops fat accumulation in your body....

unfortunately there are fewer resources in English on the net on Jamu, but I found some. One is this blog by an Indonesian which discusses the aphrodisiac properties of these herbal drinks..


Jamu with Tamarind, Ginger and Turmeric

Ingredients:
1 ounce fresh turmeric root
1 ounce fresh ginger root
1/2 ounce tamarind
brown sugar to taste
salt
2 litres of water

Directions:
Wash, peel, and chop the turmeric and ginger. Put the first three ingredients with water in a pan and cook for 10 -15 minutes after the water boils. Add sugar and salt to taste.
You can serve it hot or cold with ice cubes.

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