Jamu kunyit asam
Golden drink made with turmeric and tamarind, earthy, tangy, and sweetened with palm sugar. Drunk cold or warm, as a morning vitality tonic.
Golden drink made with turmeric and tamarind, earthy, tangy, and sweetened with palm sugar. Drunk cold or warm, as a morning vitality tonic.
When I was little, the mbok jamu would pass in the street with her bottles on her back, and my grandmother would make me drink it to keep me fit. Kunyit asam is grated turmeric that you squeeze, mixed with tangy tamarind and just enough palm sugar to make it palatable. It's a little bitter, it wakes you up — but it's the wisdom of home, plants and nothing else. Even today, in the whirlwind of tours, I love to find this taste of Java's earth and sun.
- •Fresh turmeric — several rhizomes, grated (active principle, color)
- •Tamarind pulp — a walnut-sized piece (acidity)
- •Palm sugar (gula jawa) — a piece (sweetness)
- •Water — as needed (infusion)
- •Salt — a pinch (balance)
Jamu kunyit asam
Golden drink made with turmeric and tamarind, earthy, tangy, and sweetened with palm sugar. Drunk cold or warm, as a morning vitality tonic.
Why this dish? Jamu is Indonesian traditional herbal medicine, passed down through generations, often sold by mbok jamu, women who carry their bottles in a basket on their backs. Anggun, attached to her Javanese roots and a certain idea of well-being, embodies the link between tradition and modernity that jamu symbolizes.
When I was little, the mbok jamu would pass in the street with her bottles on her back, and my grandmother would make me drink it to keep me fit. Kunyit asam is grated turmeric that you squeeze, mixed with tangy tamarind and just enough palm sugar to make it palatable. It's a little bitter, it wakes you up — but it's the wisdom of home, plants and nothing else. Even today, in the whirlwind of tours, I love to find this taste of Java's earth and sun.
Ingredients (period version)
- Fresh turmeric — several rhizomes, grated (active principle, color)
- Tamarind pulp — a walnut-sized piece (acidity)
- Palm sugar (gula jawa) — a piece (sweetness)
- Water — as needed (infusion)
- Salt — a pinch (balance)
Ingredients
- Fresh turmeric — 100 g (active principle, color)
- Tamarind paste — 2 tbsp (acidity)
- Palm sugar or brown sugar — 60 g (sweetness)
- Water — 1 liter (infusion)
- Salt — 1 pinch (balance)
- Fresh ginger (optional) — 20 g (warming tonic)
Method
- Grate or blend fresh turmeric (and ginger) with a little water.
- Bring water to a simmer with the turmeric pulp, tamarind, and palm sugar.
- Let infuse and reduce gently for 15 minutes, add the pinch of salt.
- Strain through a fine cloth to remove fibers.
- Serve warm, or let cool and serve chilled over ice.
How it was made : Jamu dates back several centuries in the courts of Java, where medicinal plant recipes were recorded. Kunyit asam, made with anti-inflammatory turmeric and tamarind, was traditionally prepared each morning and carried door-to-door by mbok jamu in glass bottles in a bamboo basket (inspired by this living tradition, not a sacred ritual).
The contemporary twist : Served in a small glass bottle like a golden wellness shot, with ice and a lime zest — a 'wellness' version of grandma's tonic.
Anggun · Charactorium