Jamu: Indonesian Natural Herbal Remedy

"Jamu" is an old Indonesian heritage of elixirs and remedies for health and beauty. Made from natural herbs; either from the leaves, the fruits, the roots, the flowers or the barks, etc; jamu has been rejuvenation, medication and beauty secret that has been passed down through generations of Indonesian women.

Since old ages, Indonesian people had studied about the benefit of natural herbs, and today, Jamu is a perfect ‘back to nature’ solution to choose against harmful effect of modern life.
There are hundreds of herbs for jamu prescriptions, among other are:

Spices
* Ginger (Zingiber Officinale)
* Lempuyang (Zingiber Oronaticum)
* Temu Lawak/ Wild Ginger (Curcuma Cautkeridza)
* Temu Ireng (Curcuma Aeruginosa Roxb)
* Kunyit/ Tumeric (Curcuma Domestica)
* Kencur/ Greater Galingale (Kaemferi Galanga)
* Lengkuas/ Ginger Plant (Elpina Galanga)
* Bengle (Zingiber Bevifalium)
* Lada Putih/ White Pepper (Piper Nigrum)
* Pala/ Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans Houtt)

Leaves
* Secang (Caesalpinia Sappan Hinn)
* Sambang Dara (Rexco Ecaria Bicolar Hassk)
* Brotowali (Tiospora Rumpii Boerl)
* Sereh/ Lemon Grass (Cymbopogon nardus (L.) Rendle)
* Kumis Kucing/ (Orthosiphon aristatus Bl. Miq)
* Adas (Foeniculum Vulgare Mill)

Fruits
* Jeruk Nipis/ Calamondin (Citrae Aurantifalia Sivingle)
* Ceplukan (Physalic Angulata Him)
* Nyamplung (Calophylum Inaphyllu)

Barks
Kayu Manis/ Cinamon (Gijeyzahyza Glabra)

Flowers
* Melati/ Yasmin (Jataninum Sunbac Ait)
* Rumput Alang-alang (Gramineae)


Kinds of Jamu
There are many varieties of Jamu formulas. The most popular are:

- Jamu to maintain physical fitness and health. The locally popular are ‘Galian Singset’ (to keep women body fit and slim) for women, and ‘Sehat Lelaki’ (to keep men body healthy). There is also ‘Sari Rapet’, which makes a women sexual organ in a good condition, as for the man the matched product is jamu ‘Kuat Lelaki’ (strong man). There are jamu especially formulated to taking a great care to pregnant women during pre and postnatal. There are also jamu for the babies.

- ‘Jamu Godok’, which is made by boiling several herbal ingredients. This kind of jamu has a very bitter taste and is very good to detoxify the body and to cleanse the blood.

- Jamu to cure various kinds of illness, such as:
* 'Cabe puyang' to cure rheumatics, 'gula asem' to cure vitamin C deficiency.
* 'Beras kencur' for body refreshments and cure fatigue and soar throat.
* 'Daun pepaya' to cure malaria.
* ‘Kunyit asem’ to maintain women’s vitality during menstruation period.
* 'Sawanan' to refresh blood.
* And many more..

- Jamu as cosmetics, such as:
* ‘Bedak Bengkoang’ to bring out natural glow of the skin.
* ‘Bedak Dingin’ to soothe red skin. It's made of tendered rice with special ingredients, such as pandan leaf, kenanga flower etc.
*‘Lulur’ (scrub powder). It is made of tendered rice, pandan leaves, kemuning leaves, and some healing roots. The lulur should stimulate the body to throw out the dead cells, replace it with new ones, stimulate blood circulation under the skin, smooth the skin and at the same time scents it.

Today, Jamu comes in instant formula made by jamu factories, but the fresh home made ones still be sold in the market. In Indonesia, we can still find many ‘warung jamu’, a small store ( as a permanent building or in a tent) which serve both factory made and home made jamu. We can sometimes find mobile jamu seller (although nowadays it has become a rare occasion to see them), usually a woman, on foot (popular as 'tukang jamu gendong') or on bicycle, carrying basic formulas of jamu.