Page 89 - EBOOK_Jamu: The Ancient Indonesian Art of Herbal Healing

the diet.

In the tropics, dishes vary with the season. The dry season sees families
eating more sour foods like cooling vegetables, sour sugar and saffron. The rainy
season encourages Indonesians to take warming drinks such as ginger, and to
cook with large amounts of coconut.
Looking at some of the common foods in Indonesia, we see that starfruit
reduces blood pressure, while its cooling effect works wonders for scurvy and

whooping cough. The leaves are a cure for rheumatism. Boiled in water, they are
a remedy for fever or diabetes and possess certain antibiotic properties. The juice
of the thin-skinned lime (citrus aurantifolia) when mixed with daun sirih (betel
leaves), salt and hot water is effective in the treatment of itchy rashes. After two
or three applications, the rash usually disappears.
As already discussed, turmeric has antiseptic powers, and capsaicin, the
compound that gives the bite to chillies, aids respiration. Candlenuts, which are
added to vegetable dishes and soups, gently clean out the system. Meanwhile

scientific tests have revealed that mango, another Indonesian favourite, contains
two compounds to prevent the herpes virus duplicating itself, thus effectively
killing it off.
People of the archipelago have learned what healthy ingredients are over
centuries. They thrived on a diet of fresh leaves and fruits that contained healthy
enzymes. When they were sick, a quick stroll around the neighbourhood to pick
up a few medicinal barks and plants was the equivalent of dropping in at the
local pharmacy. Experience taught them what to look for, and their fertile plains
or rich rain forests, ensured an abundant supply. Food provided life’s essentials
in terms of vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates and proteins. As in many other

Asian countries, Indonesians were aware of how food could also be used as
medicine.
These healthy eating habits comprise a well-balanced macro diet. Based on
rice, vegetables, nuts, pulses and fresh fruit, the intake is supplemented by soya
beans and small portions of fish or meat. The final touch is the vast range of
spices which seasons main dishes and appears in a variety of hot sambal sauces
such as chilli, shallot, yam bean, mango and dried shrimp paste. Combining
these ingredients helps ward off all sorts of diseases including cancer, high blood

pressure, cholesterol and heart problems.

Moving With the Times
Nowadays, ‘progress’ is slowly eroding traditional eating patterns. Hamburgers,

milk, cheese and yoghurt have long made their debut in Indonesia and show no