Ignoring medical advice, Indonesians throng ‘jamu’ herbal drink parlours, believing concoctions protect against coronavirus
- Made with ingredients including turmeric and ginger, jamu drinks are becoming increasingly popular after a surge of coronavirus cases in Indonesia
- Many are convinced they can avoid Covid-19 if they regularly drink the concoctions, but doctors warn about false rumours of their healing power
It has been raining since morning but the air feels hot and balmy at Jamu Bukti Mentjos, a jamu parlour in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta.
Despite a recent surge in coronavirus cases in Indonesia, customers sit almost shoulder to shoulder at the parlour, which occupies the front part of a house on Salemba Tengah street. Standing behind them are food-delivery drivers, waving their phones and scraps of paper containing orders. The handful of staff manning the bar look rather overwhelmed.
Two waitresses behind the bar are scooping brown powder from an assortment of glass jars on racks lining the walls, putting it into clear coffee mugs and pouring steaming hot water into them. A heady aroma of turmeric and galangal wafts in the air.
On March 23, Indonesian President Joko Widodo said to the press that a lockdown was still not option for the country. Since then, Indonesia has seen its biggest daily spike in new coronavirus cases, which now number over 700.
This afternoon, despite having to wait more than 20 minutes for their jamu to be served, customers sit without a fuss in the stuffy room.