Page 150 - EBOOK_Jamu: The Ancient Indonesian Art of Herbal Healing

mother decided to take action. To keep the girl healthy, she arrived each morning with home-made
jamu. After Nonni was born, Nyonya Meeer’s mother switched her daughter to jamu for cleaning the
womb and making her muscles contract.
The family moved to Semarang a little later. Nyonya Meneer’s mother wrote down her jamu
recipes to ensure her daughter’s continuing youth and beauty, and packed them into the luggage.
Nyonya Meneer began making up the recipes and inevitably, one day, a neighbour arrived whilst she
was busy. Enquiring as to its effect, Nyonya Meneer revealed that she drank jamu every day to keep
herself young and attractive.
Consequently it wasn’t long before Nyonya Meneer had a constant flow of neighbours visiting
her on some pretext or other in order to try the jamu. “They asked for bottles to take home,” relates
Ibu Nonni. “While my mother was happy to make a bit extra, she had no intention of parting with her
precious recipes.” It was to be the start of a small home-based business.

“Local women soon decided it must be the jamu that was keeping her bold husband at home,”
Ibu Nonni says. Demand for his wife’s herbal medicines increased and she found she had a business
on her hands. In 1919, she set up a small factory using a traditional grinding stone to crush and make
the jamu. Her selection of jamu constantly changed to match the needs of her neighbour-customers.
She would consult her mother’s recipe book and prepare what was required.
The original business has now grown into a major group, but the family still uphold their
mother’s traditional approach. Jamu and cosmetics are designed to complement one another to
maximise health and beauty. This is reflected in their brochure which contains over a hundred
products divided into separate sections for female, cosmetic and family care herbs; followed by
masculine, health promoting and curing herbs.
As one of Indonesia’s most celebrated brands of cosmetics and jamu, Nyonya Meneer
products are frequently recommended by Western-trained doctors because of their outstanding
quality and performance.

For dry skin, Pelembut Wajah (Soft Face) night cream restores moisture
balance and keeps skin supple with vitamins A and E. As double insurance,
Pelembut Wajah rejuvenating cream reinforces the effect, brightens complexions
and improves blood circulation. There is also a quail-egg and honey rejuvenating
mask to ensure smooth, strong skin. Oily skin is treated with a range based on
fresh lemon essence and a Bidari Laut face mask prepared, again, from bidara
laut wood and rice starch, but with astringent tamarind pulp included. There are
also products to combat skin problems associated with hot, damp tropical
climates, such as patchy pigmentation.

These cosmetic products can be used together with suitable jamu. For