Jamu Asem Jawa – A very Delicious and Healthy, Traditional Tamarind Drink

When it comes to health and well-being, my family and I have been relying on nature’s remedies for many years, and the very few days that we’ve been sick in total show that we seem to be doing the right thing.

I’ve already shared a few of our healthy drinks with you like:

• Hot Orange-Ginger-Honey Drink
• Hot Ginger-Chili-Thyme Tea with Honey
• Es Kelapa Muda – Iced Young Coconut water

Today, I would like to share another of our all-time favourites: Jamu Asem Jawa, a traditional Tamarind Drink.

Jamu is the name given to all kinds of healthy drinks which somehow also work as remedies.

Asem Jawa is the name given to Tamarind from the island of Java.

According to BBC Good Food, Tamarind has many healthy benefits, among them:

• Rich source of antioxidants
• May have anticancer properties
• May improve heart health and cholesterol
• Offers liver protective benefits
• Provides natural antimicrobial benefits
• May offer anti-diabetic benefits

Be careful though, as tamarind has the capability to cause an allergic reaction in some people, may lower blood sugar levels, and can have a laxative effect if consumed in large amounts.

To know more, please continue reading the article on BBC Good Food.

As usual, please be careful with homemade remedies, and consult your doctor when in doubt.

My family and I mostly like the Tamarind Drink because of it’s pretty sour taste, which may not be for everyone.

Let’s see what we need to prepare the Jamu:

Ingredients

• 125 g fresh Asem Jawa (tamarind pulp)
• 2 liters of drinking water
• 100 g palm sugar (or more to taste)

Preparation

Place the tamarind pulp in a large pot. Add the water, and the sugar, and bring to a boil while stirring once in a while and squeezing the tamarind pulp to get it diluted as well as possible.

Reduce the heat, and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced to about two thirds of the initial amount.

Pour through a large sieve to get rid of the seeds and peel that may have been inside the pulp, and fill into clean, disinfected glass bottles while still hot, so that it can make a vacuum.

Let cool completely, store inside your fridge and enjoy about 125-250 ml per person per day.

If the drink is much too sour, you can add more sugar, but try to keep the sugar amount as low as possible, not to compromise the healthy effects of the drink.

My family and I first met the drink in a supermarket, and immediately liked it. Unfortunately, it is sold in very small packets with straws and such.

That’s why we decided to prepare the drink ourselves, not only to reduce the waste amount, but also to have control over the amount of sugar added.

Have you ever come across Jamu Asem Jawa or any other of the Jamu?

I’m curious to read about your impressions and opinions about it. Feel free to share them in the comments.