Healing herbs in jamu are originated from about thousand of species commonly used in jamu preparation. In fact, the Indonesian archipelago is one of the most bio-diverse regions in the world, where of out 40,000 tropical plants, around 30,000 species grows in Indonesia. Although nearly 7,000 cultivated species has been identified, only 286 plant species has been registered in the Materia Medika Indonesia of the Department of Health of The Republic of Indonesia.
Looking at the jamu industry of Indonesia at present time, only about 200 essential ingredients are kept in stock by the big industries to work on, while the home industries use only up to 100 herbal remedies on a day by day basis. Another group of jamu makers are the villagers who use 700 to 800 herbal remedies for a limitless range of jamu formulas that have never been officially recorded.
The Ginger Family – The superstars of jamu ingredients
In spite of the huge number of healing plants or herbal remedies in Indonesia, only a few species are the core of jamu ingredients and are undisputedly the superstars of jamu, which all of them belongs to the ginger or Zingiberaceae family. The Ginger family explained >>
Spices in Jamu
Aside from their culinary functions, spices are used in jamu to add taste and to give a warming and pleasant effect. It is common to add spices like; cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, fennel, black and white pepper, cardamom, coriander and cumin. Spices in jamu explained >>
The necessary poisons in jamu.
There are plants which are toxic in nature, but at the same time possess a valuable healing effect. It is the matter on how to determine the right size of dosage and the knowledge to use a neutralizing plant to counter the toxic effect. Some curative but 'poisonous' herbal remedies further explained >>
The needed but scarce ingredients.
Due to the irresponsible act of over-exploitation the green environment and natural resources by some people, many valuable plants have become extinct. Scarcity has become a problem and endangering the future of jamu inheritance. Scarce ingredients explained >>
- The Ginger Family
- Spices in Jamu
- The necessary poisons in jamu
- The needed but scarce ingredients.
