Jamu may not be a fancy drink, but it is well-consumed by Indonesian women and men, from the working-class to the socialites. The appearance of the yellowish dark brown liquid may make jamu looks appalling to many but its appearance cannot undermine its effectiveness to cure many diseases.

From the ancient times, jamu has been known as one of the most effective traditional herbal tonics in Java. The drink is formulated with an ancient art of healing and promoting both inner and outer health as well as beauty. Jamu is popular among men as a fertility drink while women drink jamu for its beautifying and slimming effect. The most complete reference on jamu is discovered in Serat Centhini, an ancient manuscript written by a nobleman from Surakarta in the 18^th century.

It is not difficult to find traditional jamu drink. Drinking jamu in cafes located in shopping malls or hotels is even a new trend nowadays. Customers are able to enjoy this traditional drink while hanging out with friends and still be surrounded by the chic ambience of the cafes.

Even though jamu can be consumed in many restaurants and food stalls in Indonesia, a lot of people still prefer to get their jamu from the jamu gendong sellers. A jamu gendong seller is usually a lady who walks around the neighborhood, wearing a batik cloth or lurik cloth across her torso. The batik cloth is used to support a heavy basket, filled with bottles of jamu, which was tied on her back. Besides getting the health benefits from consuming freshly prepared jamu, chatting with the knowledgable jamu gendong sellers may be another reason why some jamulovers prefer jamu gendong sellers.

Jamu, which recently received a registered patent as an Indonesian original product, is highly popular amongst foreigners. According to the Chairman of Indonesian Herbal and Traditional Medicines Entrepreneurs Association, Charles Saerang, jamu industry is growing in Indonesia with potential total sales of Rp 5 trillion, or around US$550.96 million. PT Sido Muncul and Nyonya Meneer, the biggest jamu manufacturer in Indonesia, are expanding their market to US, Netherlands, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Vietnam and Thailand. The market in Japan is relatively big since Japanese love turmeric products.

So, what are you waiting for? Enjoy some beras kencur, kunyit asem or temu lawak for a better health.

Source: globalindonesianvoices.com