Page 179 - EBOOK_Jamu: The Ancient Indonesian Art of Herbal Healing

Appendix

This chapter outlines a number of jamu recipes that have—for the most part—

been given to the author by the ordinary Indonesian housewife. Special thanks
go to Ibu Atun, Ibu Sujatno, Mbak Sumirah, Mbak Supriyani, Mbak Sriharti and
Mbak Sumarsih. Most ingredients are culled from nature’s store cupboard, and
in cases where fresh Indonesian ingredients are unobtainable or formulæ are
complicated, you are advised to buy ready-made products. A tumbler, glass or
mug denotes approximately a 50 ml (2 oz) measurement.
Measurements in Indonesia are a mystery. Most jamu makers rely on a
mixture of instinct, experience and ‘feeling’ to gauge just how much of a

particular ingredient is required.
To give a first-hand example, when Ibu Sujatno, a traditional masseuse,
jamu maker and housewife gave me a recipe for rheumatism massage oil, she
simply listed the ingredients: ginger, greater galangal, cloves, lemongrass and
coconut oil. She did not specify the quantities. I asked an Indonesian friend,
Supriyani, to chase after her and check. When she returned, the list was
untouched. I was flummoxed, but Supriyani remained unfazed as she went to the

market to buy the five required items and two grated coconuts for making the
basic oil. Supriyani set aside 1½ kg of coconut, and deftly divided up the other
ingredients. The result was excellent. When asked why she had chosen these
amounts, her answer was “I just know”.