Health and Beauty Tips

Jamus are usually made of roots, herbs and bark. All jamu peddlers and makers use their own types of concoctions. Except for industrial jamus, these concoctions are often taken with an egg and some honey to ease the sourness of the taste.
Below is a list of the function, ingredients and preparation techniques of some of the more popular types of jamus:

Jamu Sari Rapat
Stricly for women only, this is considered to be highly efficacious in tightening the muscular walls of the vagina. The Javanese firmly believe in its power in preserving harmony in marital intercourse.
Ingredients:
Temu Kunci (herbal root), Fennel, White Pomegranate, Aniseed and Turmeric.
Method:
First, all the ingredients are washed and fried without oil. Next, they are ground to a powder onto which hot water is poured. Mix well. This refined product is then bottled, ready to be served.

Jamu Keputihan
Strictly for women too, this is taken to abate sexual disease (white fluids from the vagina)
Ingredients:
1 egg yolk, 1 spoon of turmeric juice, 1 spoon of honey and calamondin water.
Method:
The turmeric root is first peeled and then squeezed for its juice which is then mixed in with the other ingredients and blended well. Boiling is not necessary.

Jamu Beras Kencur
The most popular of all herbal medication, not only in Java but on other islands as well, this tonic soothes all aches and pains and is great antidote to exhaustion and general lethargy.
Ingredients:
Rice, kencur (a ginger-like root crop), Ginger, Pandanus, Lemon (used for its fragrance) and Javanese sugar (red sugar nade from area)
Method:
First, the rice is fried without oil and then ground. It is then boiled with all the other ingredients after which it is bottled.

Jamu Kuat Lelaki
Popular with men, it is taken to boost the libido.
Ingredients:
White Pomegranate, Ginger, Honey, Egg yolk, Kumis Kucing leaves (which possess diuretic properties) and Meniran leaves.
Method:
The white pomegranate, ginger, honey, kumis kucing and meniran leaves are boiled in 4 glasses of water. Leave to simmer till the water level has reduced to 2 glasses. Add a raw egg and a spoon of honey to 1 glass which should be taken in the morning. Taken the other glass in the afternoon.