Page 69 - EBOOK_Jamu: The Ancient Indonesian Art of Herbal Healing

(lengkuas; languas galanga); resurrection lily (kencur; Kaempferia galanga);

lempuyang pahit (bitter ginger; zingiber amaricans); lempuyang wangi (zingiber
aromaticum) and temu lawak (curcuma xanthorrhiza) (neither of which have
common English names) and, of course, common ginger (jahe; zingiber
officinale). These members of the ginger family are the mainstays of jamu, used
both for cosmetics and traditional medicine.

The Ginger Family
Outside Asia, ginger is usually thought to be just the one rhizome, which is used
primarily for culinary purposes. The name actually applies to a whole family of
rhizomes, Zingiberaceae, with around 200 species recorded so far in Indonesia.
These rhizomes are different in shape, colour, flavour and curing ability. Many
of these gingers feature on the World Health Organization (who) list of the most
popular medicinal plants used in 23 countries.

An amazing number of different jamu are created using various
combinations of certain basic gingers. Typically this involves grinding the ginger
rhizome into a fine paste to which other types of plants are added for their
cumulative effect. Once they are mixed together, a chemical reaction is set up
that changes a jamu’s healing power and substantially increases the gamut of
cures.

Common ginger (jahe; Zingiber officinale)
The best known member of the Zingiberaceae family, common ginger, has been

used by herbalists to warm the body since ancient times. The Indonesians use it
for flavouring, improving the appetite, aiding digestion and helping with
rheumatic pain. Pickled ginger has long been used to prevent motion sickness
and is now recommended for morning sickness in Western books on natural