YELLOW JUICE "JAMU" - a balinese health elixir and remedy for cold winter days

​​Last weekend I cooked JAMU,  our all-time favorite Balinese remedy, as I felt a cold coming up.
​My house keeper used to prepare it for me for daily use and it always worked a miracle as I hardly became sick at all in Bali.

Jamu is basically a yellow "green juice" and one of the best home made remedies with a long tradition from Java, Indonesia and widely used in Bali. It is prepared by Balinese at home and then sold on the street in little carts. Watch out for the sign "Jamu" next time you are in Bali or Indonesia. There are jamus for different ailments. This jamu recipe is called Jamu Kunyit and its main ingredient is turmeric.
It is used as an immune booster,  against a heavy stomach after a rich meal, to flush liver and kidneys and to control weight.
According to  recent research of the Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine in Jülich, Germany,  a chemical component of the spice turmeric increases the regeneration of new neurons in cell cultures and in lab rats.  More research is done to find out whether there may be a positive effect of turmeric on curing dementia and other serious deseases.
In the meantime we will continue to drink it regularly as the Balinese do. 

​When preparing Jamu, please be aware that turmeric can stain your hands and it is very difficult to get it off nails and skin as well as fabrics. Therefore be very diligent when handling turmeric! You may use hand gloves or a plastic bag to cover your hands. It is also advised to cook turmeric at least 20 minutes as it is not healthy to consume it raw.

Here comes the recipe:

1 l coconut water or water
a hand full of turmeric and ginger roots
2 limes
honey to sweeten

a pot
strainer
blender
hand gloves or plastic bag
​
1.  Cut the herbs into pieces; you may peel the ginger and turmeric
2. bring water or coconut water to boil and add herbs and honey
3. Cook for 20 minutes 
4. Put it in a blender and blend until it is a smooth liquid
5. Strain and fill it into a glass bottle

Jamu should be consumed within 3-4 days - keep it in a fridge and drink it warm!