6 Tips for Decocting Jamu at Home
"It is true that jamu or herbal ingredients are far from word ‘side effects.’ However, we also have to pay attention to the ingredients and how to process them properly. Because, the processing will affect the efficacy and benefits of herbs that we will consume"Published by : Farida - 15/10/2021 09:38 WIB
3 Minutes read.
Similar to cooking, processing jamu also has diverse rules to be obeyed. This needs to be adhered to avoid a decrease in the efficacy and benefits of the processed jamu ingredients. In fact, this is done to reduce the risk of harm if it there’s something wrong in the jamu processing. If you want your decocted herbs to have optimal benefits for your body, pay attention to the rules. Let’s see the explanation below!
- Selection of raw materials
Choose good and fresh raw materials. The point is that the raw material is not contaminated with certain ingredients that have the potential to change the content of substances in the material. In addition, make sure the material to be processed is free of impurities, such as sand, soil, and so on.
- Wash the ingredients
Always make sure the jamu ingredients to be processed are washed first. This is done to avoid contamination from dirt attached to the herbal ingredients. After washing, drain the material before processing.
- Decoct using clean water
Decoct/boil the jamu using clean water. Water sources can be taken from wells, PAM (Perusahaan Air Minum, plumbed water from drinking water company), or commercial refilled water. However, make sure the water you use is colorless, tasteless, and odorless.
- Boiling tools
Avoid decocting/boiling jamu using iron or aluminum tools. Use utensils that are safe for health, such as stainless steel, ceramic, enamel, or earthenware pots.
- Tools hygiene
Make sure the tools to be used are clean, both for boiling or chopping tools ingredients. This is to minimize bacteria during the decoction process.
- Keep yourself clean
In addition to keeping the tools clean, make sure your hands are clean from all kinds of dirt. Cut fingernails to maintain cleanliness, not use jewelry during processing the jamu, not smoking, and ensure the cleanliness of the place for processing herbal medicine.
In addition to following the rules described above, it’s a good idea if you also pay attention to the type of jamu ingredients you decoct. Each jamu ingredient has a different character so it requires different treatment.
- Thicker materials such as rhizomes, the stems are cut into thin slices first.
- Use a clay pot (pottery), stainless, or enamel.
- Use fire according to the type of herbs being boiled:
Small fire: for ingredients purposed as a tonic, so that the active ingredients are absorbed into the decocting water. Example: ginseng and ling zhi mushroom.
Medium fire: for materials containing toxins, to reduce the toxin content. Example: mahkota dewa (god’s crown, Phaleria macrocarpa).
Big fire: for ingredients purposed as diaphoretic (remove sweat) and contain essential oils. Example: mint leaves, cloves, cinnamon.
Well Jamupedia friends, those are some things that need to be considered if you want to decoct your own jamu at home. make sure the cleanliness of the materials, personal hygiene, to the cleanliness of the surrounding environment.
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