Page 80 - EBOOK_Jamu: The Ancient Indonesian Art of Herbal Healing

availability of over 1,000 medicinal plants, the range of combinations is said to

cure most maladies. Common additions to these plants include papaya, betel
leaves, chilli peppers, orange or pomegranate skins and bastard cedar, or any of
the 900 or so on the who list. Jamu Kunir Asem illustrates how different mixes
effect different cures. Sold as a healthy tonic, it is transformed into a slimming
recipe when betel leaf is added.

What do these spices contribute? Cinnamon (cinnamomum zeylanicum)
brings flavour and freshness to the drink, while nutmeg (myristica fragrans)
adds taste and has a calming effect because it is a narcotic medicinal compound.

Nutmeg helps wind, indigestion and stomach problems, but it can be highly toxic
in very large doses owing to the chemical myristicin, which can cause
convulsions and in some cases, abortion. Nutmeg and cloves (Syzgium
aromatica) both stop diarrhoea, while the latter is prescribed for stomach pain,
nausea or vomiting. Fennel has a similar action on the stomach and bowels; it
regulates urine flow and brings down fevers as well.
Pepper (piper sp.) concentrates on warming, but also destroys parasites and
removes gas. White pepper (which is simply the ripe peppercorn with the
wrinkled black skin removed) works as a diuretic and a contraceptive, while its
leaves go into remedies for leprosy and eczema. Black pepper’s specialities are
removing phlegm, purifying the blood and treating rheumatism. Cardamom