Page 138 - EBOOK_Jamu: The Ancient Indonesian Art of Herbal Healing

A famous jamu gendong statue, situated in Wonogiri, central Java, often called the home of jamu.

Major companies like Martina Berto and Sido Muncul invest heavily in the
jamu gendong because these companies sell large quantities of powdered jamu.
Each Lebaran (the festival marking the end of the Muslim fasting month) sees a
steady stream of buses, sponsored by the two organizations, fetching sellers
home to their families in Sukoharjo and Cirebon. The companies also provide
training courses, promotions and competitions throughout the year. Many of

these women cannot read and write, but they can make curing jamu, and even
experts, such as pharmacist Professor Dr Sidik of Universitas Padjadjaran in
Bandung, are studying their methods. The professor first became interested when
he met a patient who had been successfully treated by a jamu gendong for a liver
problem with jamu made from temu lawak and red sugar. Extensive clinical
trials produced impressive results. Professor Sidik added turmeric to further
improve the formula and it has now gone into production under the name of
Cursil.

The jamu gendong may be a one-woman enterprise, but she provides us
with a very accurate picture of Indonesia’s herbal medicine in its original form.
Her knowledge has hardly changed as it has passed from generation to
generation, making her the custodian of today’s authentic jamu formulæ.
Collectively, jamu gendong form the largest group of jamu sellers in Indonesia,
numbering some 80,000. The medium-and large-scale factories that emerged in