Page 96 - EBOOK_Jamu: The Ancient Indonesian Art of Herbal Healing

Javanese half-cook the leaves and mix them with shrimp paste to produce a

spicy, sambal sauce.
Never underestimate a pineapple (Ananas sp.). The Beverly Hills Diet made
it fashionable in the West in the 1960s, and for years, top models have tucked
into steak and deliberately chosen pineapple for dessert as it contains an enzyme,
bromelin, that reduces meat to the consistency of porridge. In the West,
pineapple juice is now recommended for thick blood and poor circulation.
Again, bromelin thins the blood, prevents blood clots forming and improves
blood circulation.

Originally grown in the New World, pineapples came to Asia in the 16th
century courtesy of Spanish and Portuguese explorers. The Indonesian variety is
smaller and sweeter than average, and grows particularly well in the red soil
around Bogor, south of Jakarta. In Indonesia the fruit is traditionally eaten fresh,
rubbed with salt to sweat out the juice and neutralize the acid. It comes as
dessert, jam, snacks and is puréed with sugar to make drinks.

In small doses, unripe pineapple is regarded as a diuretic. Larger amounts
can induce abortions because the immature fruit contains a poison that acts as a
violent purge. Its young leaves are a cure for venereal disease. In the Moluccas,
children drink unripe pineapple juice to remove intestinal worms and Javanese
women take it to regulate menstruation.
Comprehensive as ever, Mrs Kloppenburg-Versteegh (see page 16) advised
drinking the juice fresh, but never with, or straight after, milk. Experiments in a
tumbler attest to its instant curdling ability. She warned kidney and diabetes
patients to steer clear of pineapple and also said new mothers and women with
white discharge must also avoid it. She also believed it an excellent gargle for

clearing the passage to the œsophagus in cases of diphtheria.
Like papaya, the pineapple enzyme is so efficient workers in canneries have
to wear gloves to protect their hands. Nonetheless Dr Jeanne Freeland-Graves,
Professor of Nutrition at the University of Texas applauds pineapple as a terrific
source of manganese. Apparently this is why it keeps bones strong and guards
against osteoprosis.

Bananas (pisang; musa sp.) are found and eaten everywhere in Indonesia.
The country is credited with possessing 60 to 90 kinds of banana, although some
argue the figure is over 100. The versatile fruit has provided Indonesians with
everything from fibre for hats, matting, sewing, paper and cloth, to food, dye,
wayang puppet stands, magic recipes, offerings in Bali and, of course, medicine.
Rich in potassium, tests carried out in America reveal bananas control blood
pressure and help ward off cancer of the colon if eaten before they are fully ripe.