22 Feb 2015
Jamu Healing
Javanese calls Jamu for herbal remedies, without chemist material as additive. Jamu has traditional connotation, because Jamu is ancient tradition, before modern pharmacology comes in Indonesia. Some formulas have a hundred years old and are used until now. Dukun' or 'tabib', a traditional doctor has been introducing this mention in ancient era.From them, drinking Jamu tradition has been popular in common people. And now, almost 80% of Indonesian people ever consume Jamu. For Indonesian people, Jamu is very popular as milk popularity for western.
History of Jamu
The origin of Jamu is obscure. No one really knows its source. However, popular stories link first Jamu to seventeenth century Mataram Hindu Empire, where ladies of the palace who rather preoccupied with keeping themselves young and beautiful for their husband undertook the preparation of Jamu and herbal cosmetics. And Madhawapura's Inscription from Majapahit Empire tells us about 'Jamu maker ' that call as Acaraki. This tradition was being flourished in the palace of Jogjakarta and Solo princes, those become main reference for manufacturers Jamu in Indonesia. But until the early of 20th century, this tradition is still exclusively, only aristocrat communities doing this. Since 1910, Tan Swan Nio and Siem Tjiang Nio hold Djamoe Industrie en Chemicalen Handel “IBOE” Tjap 2 Njonja in Surabaya to produce Jamu for common people. And history of modern Jamu has begun.