ExplainerHow jamu, traditional Indonesian herbal medicine, relieves pain and helps you detox
- Whether you drink it or rub it on your body, traditional Indonesian herbal medicine can relieve all kinds of pain and detoxify the body
Traditional Indonesian herbal medicine, or jamu, dates back 1,300 years.
A panci jamu, or jamu pot, seen in a stone mural carved on a wall of the Borobudur temple in central Java suggests it was being practised when the temple was built in the late 8th century.
Historically, jamu was reserved for the royal families of Java and neighbouring Bali. Today, the tradition is alive and well and available to all, with jamu gendong, medicine carriers who are usually women, toting baskets of ready-mixed elixirs on their backs to sell at markets throughout Indonesia.
The concoctions are made from spices, roots, leaves, bark and fruit, and are used to aid digestion, reduce inflammation, boost immunity and improve overall health.
Jamu was exclusive to royal courts until the 20th century, when one woman brought it to the masses: Nyonya Meneer.