A café employee prepares “jamu” at a cafe in Jakarta.
Indonesian traders fused their age-old love of tonics,
made from the archipelago’s vast selection of herbs, with the younger
generation’s desire for a fashionable setting, and came up with
beverages that focus on modern-day problems
The trendy cafe looks like a typical coffee shop in the Indonesian
capital Jakarta, but it sells herb-infused brews promising to fix every
ailment from coughs to impotence.
Indonesians have for generations taken herbal medicine, known locally
as “jamu”, as a remedy for common ailments, and many children’s early
memories include being forced to gulp down concoctions of ingredients
such as ginger and turmeric.
Now, entrepreneurs have fused the age-old love of tonics, made from
the archipelago’s vast selection of herbs, with the younger generation’s
desire for a fashionable setting, and come up with beverages that focus
on modern-day problems.
And as demand for alternative medicines grows from the Middle East to
Africa, jamu manufacturers hope the country can use its expertise in
the sector to become a major player in the global herbal medicine
industry.
A resurgence in domestic popularity is being driven by hangouts such
as the Jakarta cafe, which welcomes young professionals and students to a
retro setting that mixes old-fashioned furniture with touches of the
past, such as black and white prints and vintage bicycles. “Potent!”
exclaims the menu, which features a picture of a beaming man wearing a
traditionally patterned cap and a smart suit as he promotes a
“stamina-boosting aphrodisiac”, named the Ginseng Prakoso Plus.
Next to him is a picture of a woman with her hair meticulously styled
into a bun, offering a drink called the “Tight Cavity”, which aims to
help improve a couple’s sex life after a woman has given birth.
smiling wives
Other brews at the cafe, named “It’s a long time such we had jamu”,
tantalisingly promise to “keep husbands at home” and “wives always
smiling”.
The cafe, which opened two years ago, also offers a range of lighter,
more palatable jamu, such as drinks made from the herb rosella to
recharge the immune system, turmeric to boost stamina, and ginger to
fight colds and coughs.
“Initially the bitter taste put me off, but I have grown accustomed
to it,” said graphic designer Io Woo, 23, who gets her particular amu
fix at the cafe three to four times a month. “It’s less dreadful to
consume it with friends here, where it’s cosy and comfortable.”
It is not just hipster cafes seeking to breathe new life into jamu.
Traditional healer Retno Widati has since 2011 been teaching people
seeking to open their own businesses how to make jamu ice cream from
green beans, rice and galangal, a herb related to ginger common in
Indonesia.
“Young people are not taking jamu as often as in the old days, they
fear the bitter taste,” she said, adding her aim was to re-introduce it
to people in a “more modern form”.
The “jamu movement” has some high-profile supporters, notably
Indonesian President Joko Widodo, who reportedly starts his day with a
glass of boiled turmeric and ginger.
The government has thrown its support behind the industry, which
currently employs 15 million people and boasts more than 1,000
manufacturers, including some listed on the Jakarta stock exchange.
Industry minister Saleh Husin in September urged more exports of jamu
products, and said the sector aims to generate revenue of up to 20
trillion rupiah ($1.45 billion) this year, up from 15 trillion rupiah in
2014.
The old ways
The old ways
Producers of jamu products see great opportunities abroad. Asia
remains the stronghold for herbal remedies but their popularity is
growing around the world, according to experts.
But Jamu Entrepreneurs Association chairman Charles Saerang said
Indonesia, which is home to around 6,000 varieties of herbs, was still
punching below its weight and remained a small player in the $50-billion
herbal remedy industry, which is dominated by countries including China
and India. He said the sector should focus on exporting good quality,
cheap raw ingredients instead of simply ready-made products, as it
mainly does now, which could increase annual earnings four fold.
Despite the arrival of hip cafes seen as key in driving jamu’s
modernisation, there remain hardcore Indonesians who prefer the old ways
— tonics served at streetside stalls, or in unpretentious, inexpensive
local shops. http://www.asianage.com/ideas/indonesian-cure-all-jamu-gets-modern-makeover-865
Lettuce,
Bok Choy and cabbage are relatively easy to grow from scraps. Instead
of throwing out those leftover leaves, simply place them in a bowl with
just a bit of water in the bottom. Keep the bowl somewhere that gets
good sunlight and mist the leaves with water a couple of times each
week. After 3 or 4 days, you will notice roots beginning to appear along
with new leaves. When this happens you can transplant your lettuce or
cabbage in soil.
Celery
is one of the easiest foods to grow from leftover scraps. Just cut off
the bottom or base of your celery and lay it in a bowl with just a bit
of warm water in the bottom. Keep the bowl in direct sunlight as long as
possible each day and after about a week, you will begin to see the
leaves thickening and growing along the base. When this happens, you can
transplant your celery in soil and wait for it to grow to full length.
If
you love using lemongrass but have a difficult time finding it, simply
regrow your own. Lemongrass will grow just like regular grass. You just
place the root that is leftover in a glass bowl or jar with enough water
to cover it and leave it in the sunlight. After about a week, you will
notice new growth and when this happens you can transplant your
lemongrass in a pot or in your herb garden.
If
you love cooking with bean sprouts you can grow them yourself as well.
You just need to soak a tablespoon or so of the beans that you want to
grow in a jar with shallow water. Leave this overnight and in the
morning, drain the water off and put the beans back in the container.
Cover the container with a towel overnight and rinse them the next
morning. Keep doing this until you notice the sprouts begin to appear
and then until they reach the size that you want. This works well with
mung beans and wheat berries.
Avocado
seeds can be used to grow a steady supply of this super food. You just
have to wash the seed and use toothpicks to suspend it over water in a
bowl or jar. The water should come up enough to cover the bottom inch of
the seed. Keep the container in a warm place but not in direct sunlight
and remember to check the water every day and add more as needed. It
can take up to six weeks for the stem and roots to appear and once the
stem reaches about 6 inches you will need to cut it down to 3 inches.
When leaves begin appearing, you can plant the seed in soil, remembering
to leave about half of it above ground.
Virtually
everyone knows that potatoes can be grown from potato peelings. You
need peelings that have eyes on them. Cut those peelings into two inch
pieces, ensuring that there are at least two or three eyes on each
piece. Allow them to dry out overnight and then simply plant them about
four inches deep in your soil. Make sure that the eyes are facing up
when planting. It will take a few weeks before you see the potato plant
begin to grow.
Sweet
potatoes can be grown much like regular potatoes. You just have to cut
the sweet potato in half and suspend it using toothpicks above a
container of shallow water. Roots will begin to appear in just a few
days and sprouts will be seen on top of the potato around that same
time. Once those sprouts reach about four inches or so in length, just
twist them off and place them in a container of water. When the roots
from this container reach about an inch in length, you can plant them in
soil.
Ginger
root is very easy to grow and once you get started, you can keep your
supply of ginger full. You just need to plant a spare piece of your
ginger root in potting soil, making sure that the buds are facing up.
You will notice new shoots and new roots in about a week or so and once
this happens you can pull it up and use it again. Remember to save a
piece of the rhizome so that you can replant it and grow more for the
next time you need it.
Garlic
is really easy to grow and can be done from just one clove. When you
buy garlic, you get several cloves so just pull one off and plant it
with the roots facing down in potting soil. Garlic likes plenty of
direct sunlight so in warmer weather, keep it outdoors in the sun during
the day. Once you notice that new shoots have established, cut the
shoots back and your plant will produce a bulb. You can take part of
this new bulb and plant again.
Onions
are very easy to grow indoors or out. You just have to cut the root of
the onion off and make sure that you leave about a half an inch of onion
when you do. Cover lightly with potting soil and keep in a sunny area.
For green onions, simply put the white base with the roots intact in a
container of water and place in direct sunlight. Change the water out
every few days and the green will continue to grow. Just snip what you
need and allow it to grow as long as you like.
If
you tend to carve pumpkins on Halloween, you can save those seeds and
plant them. Even if you prefer toasting your seeds for a yummy snack,
you can save a couple for growing new pumpkins. Just spread the seeds
out in a sunny area outdoors and cover with soil. You can also plant an
entire pumpkin. Once you finish displaying that Jack-O-Lantern, just
fill it with soil and plant the entire thing.
You
can grow mushrooms from cuttings, although they are a bit more
difficult than many other vegetables. You will need a warm area with a
lot of humidity and soil that is rich in nutrients. It is much better to
grow your mushrooms in a pot as opposed to in the ground because you
have a better shot at controlling the temperature and the humidity. You
just have to cut away the head of the mushroom and plant the stalk or
stem in the soil. Leave the very top exposed and this base will begin to
grow a new head.
You
can grow a number of chilies from the seeds that are leftover. Just
collect the seeds from your that you have on hand. Plant them in potting soil and keep in direct
sunlight unless it is warm outside and then you can just plant them in
your garden area. this grow relatively fast and don’t require a lot
of care. Once you get a new crop, just save some of the seeds for
replanting again.
Growing
fennel requires that you keep the roots intact. You need about an inch
of the base of the fennel to get it to regrow. Just place this base in a
container with about a cup of water and leave it in direct sunlight.
The windowsill is the perfect place to grow fennel. When the roots grow
strong and you notice new green shoots coming up from the center of the
base, you can transplant into soil.
Tomatoes
can be grown just by saving those seeds that you probably throw out
anyway. You just have to rinse the seeds and allow them to dry. Plant in
a good, rich potting soil until you notice growth coming in. Allow the
seeds to get a few inches high before transplanting them outdoors.
During cold weather you can grow your tomatoes indoors. Just remember to
keep them in an area that gets plenty of sunlight and water a few times
each week.
Cilantro
can be grown from scraps as well. Just place the bottom of the stem in a
glass of water and leave in a bright area, near a windowsill perhaps.
When the roots grow a couple of inches long, you can transplant the
cilantro into a pot and you will notice new sprigs in just a few weeks.
Root
plants, turnips grow well from clippings or leftover scraps. You just
need to salvage the tops of the turnip and place in a container of
water. You should notice new green tops growing in just a few days after
you begin. Just allow the root to continue growing until it’s ready to
be transplanted in the ground. This works with many root vegetables such
as beets, turnips and even parsnips.