JavaNiche

The Common Ginger in Javanese Wedang and Jamu

I often noticed that ginger is included in much of the jamu recipes shared on the internet but it was not listed (by name) as part of the eight primary concoctions. Instead, ginger appears to be an add-on ingredient, except probably for jahe wangi or jahe rempah.

An invitation to share about the tea culture of the Malay community in Singapore led me to explore more about the Javanese wedang (hot beverage). In Singapore, the Javanese community is classified and managed as part of the Malay community.

Demonstrating the making of *wedang secang jahe*.

Wedang is any hot beverage and in the Javanese community, the popular beverage are wedang jahe, wedang secang and wedang uwuh.

Ginger appears to be a common ingredient for most wedang and it could explain why it is not the main ingredient for any of the primary jamu concoctions – you are likely to consume ginger regularly as a beverage. In addition, ginger is commonly used in Javanese food.

The eight primary jamu concoctions with its most likely ingredients and groupings for mixing.

Based on this observation, I make a distinction between the regular wedang as beverage and the jamu concoctions as supplements. In this classification, ginger (jahe/halia) is a primary ingredient for wedang but a secondary one for jamu, except probably for jahe wangi (which could also be called wedang jahe).

Making Jamu is Simple and Easy

Starting to make jamu can be overwhelming when we attempt to work it out on our own and have ready access to hundreds of recipes from the internet.

I learned to make jamu growing up as my late mother was a practitioner of traditional healing.

Often, she would invite me to make jamu with her, particularly beras kencur, which is made from rice (beras) and aromatic ginger/resurrection lily (Kaempferia galanga, cekur/kencur).

She started making for me beras kencur when I was about 16 and starting to be active in rugby.

Later on, I learned that she was following the ancient tradition of introducing age-appropriate jamu.

Beras kencur is part of the eight (8) primary jamu concoctions promoted during the reign of Sultan Agung of Central Java in the 17th century. Today, five (5) of them are listed as part of the Jamu Wellness Culture inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (ICHH).

As I began my journey to seriously learn to make jamu when my mother passed on in 2014, I found that starting with these eight primary concoctions has helped me grow my expertise.

The first concoction to make is kunyit asam, with turmeric (kunyit) and tamarind (asam) as the primary ingredients.

Sharing the story of jamu while my daughter performs Jom Jamah Jamu!

The ingredients you need are:

300 g of turmeric, preferably ibu kunyit or the main rhizome. (Cut and cleaned with skin removed)
200 g of tamaraind
200 g of palm sugar (more or less depending on preferred sweetness)
Black pepper, preferably Javanese long pepper (cabe Jawa, Piper retrofractum)
2 l of water

The method will be as follows:

Boil the 2 litres of water in a pot.
When the water begins to boil, lower the heat to let it simmer. Put in all the ingredients.
Simmer for 20 minutes. After simmering for 15 minutes, add 1-2 Javanese long pepper.
Turn off the heat after simmering for 20 minutes.
Let the concoction cool for about 10 minutes. Then, pour the kunyit asam concoction into a glass bottle. Let it cool down before refrigerating.
You should get at least 1.5 litres of kunyit asam.

Get used to the sensations and benefits of consuming this basic primary concoctions before adding other ingredients like ginger or lemongrass.

When you are comfortable with kunyit asam, you can proceed on to learn the next concoction which should be beras kencur.

Jom Lestarikan Jamu!

Let’s Safeguard Jamu Tradition! has been my rallying call since a month ago.

It started with Jom Jamah Jamu! that emerged in 2024 and became firmed with a performance art by my daughter, Kamelia, later that year.

Kamelia performing *Jom Jamah Jamu!* for her final year presentation at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA).

By May 2025, our involvement in the Singapore Heritage Festival inspired the creation of a series – Jom Jamah Jamu!, Jom Racik Jamu! and Jom Gendong Jamu!. For SHF 2025, we offered The Heritage of Javanese Jamu Wellness and Birthing Traditions.

In June 2025, a jamu segment, The Heritage and Future of Jamu, was added to the 6th Global Javanese Diaspora Congress and it firmed up my framework for safeguarding Living Heritage – Heritage-Practice-Prospects. This framework was formally introduced in my extended paper on Making Jamu Exciting Again at the History of Medicine Southeast Asia Conference held in Yogyakarta. Coincidentally, Kamelia’s residency at Studio Plesungan involved her preliminary fieldwork on jamu.

The opening event of the 6th Global Javanese Diaspora Congress at Karaton Surakarta included a segment on *The* *Heritage of Jamu Wellness Culture* – the Heritage.

The visit to PUI Javanologi UNS as part of the Congress included a showcase of jamu products by contemporary practitioners – the Practice.

A visit to UPF Yankestrad Tawangmangu was included to show *The Future of Jamu* – the Prospect.

The success of the jamu segment led to the idea for Jom Jelajah Jamu!, a tour designed to introduce participants to the heritage, practice and prospects of jamu.

A request to propose a half day programme on jamu led to the consolidation of all these into Jom Lestarikan Jamu!.

Jom Lestarikan Jamu! or Let’s Safeguard Jamu (Heritage)! is a culmination of my work on jamu since 2006.

It took one year, from July 2024 when I discontinued my PhD candidature with James Cook University Singapore, to Jul 2025, to firm up my work on jamu since 2006.

Now, with a series, it becomes easier to sustain the work.

Making Jamu Exciting Again!

It was the invitation to represent Singapore at the International Conference on Intangible Cultural Heritage at Kuala Lumpur that got me conceptualising much of my work on jamu as “Making jamu exciting again!“.

This tagline that guides my work from July 2025 follows the one that I had for Elefpi Learnscapes up to 2025 – Making studying simple and easy.

The paper I presented at the KL conference hosted by Malaysia’s National Department of Heritage, focussed much on the strategies that I have adopted to increase awareness and appreciation about jamu.

Part of my advocacy involves the idea of kitchen as pharmacy (2013), jamu beyond recipes (2024) and jamu as lifestyle (2024).

In June 2025, I have had the opportunity to share about Making Jamu Exciting (Yet) Again!. It was for this presentation that I presented the framework for safeguarding living heritage – Heritage-Practice-Prospects. As this was for a History of Medicine in Southeast Asia Conference, I added preliminary findings from archival research about jamu in the news.

WHY DO WE HAVE HARI RAYA LIGHT UP?

Each year, at the start of the fasting month, there is the Hari Raya light up.

How did it start?

It probably came from the tradition of lighting up our homes with flicker lights, that possibly came from traditions such as ‘’malam tujuh likur”, “malam selikuran” and “malam lampu colok”.

In the Javanese tradition, malam selikuran is celebrated on the 21st night of Ramadan to celebrate the last 10 nights which has been consideted auspicious. From this night, much of the places are litted.

Whether or not the Hari Raya light up came out of this tradition, it is useful to note that in the tradition, it was meant to mark the last 10 nights and the light up only begins from then.

Today, it begins even before Ramadan and has become more decorative than bearing any meaning or connection to significance to Ramadan.

Oral and Literary Traditions of Haptic Heritage – The Key to Continuity of Traditional Medicinal Practice

Oral traditions like jamu making rely on continuity of practice from one generation to another. In contrast, a literary tradition does not.

The need to ensure continuity is often a priority for oral traditions and the search for the next generation of practitioners is critical to its survival.

Jamu making is a form of haptic heritage that is often best transmitted along the oral traditions requiring personal contact from expert to novice through a likely apprenticeship.

Our line of continuity was almost disconnected as I only gained interest in jamu making barely a few years before my mother passed on. Having made some jamu with her was all that remained of the haptic experience.

It was this haptic experience that enabled me to readily understand and possibly learn jamu making from other sources and references readily. This is when the literary traditions of publications and written books becomes valuable.

I learned the value of having both oral and literary traditions when I studied and research on the idea of pusaka at the Keraton Surakarta in 2003-2006. Now I have experienced it’s value first hand.

In the safeguarding and continuity of medicinal heritage or traditional medicine, we need to ensure the continued transmission of the oral traditions which has to be supplemented with the literary tradition through publications. This is particularly important for haptice heritage like jamu making, massage therapy and especially pre/post natal care.

FROM SLAMETAN TO RAMADAN : THE REMAKING OF NASI AMBENG TRADITION

Few years later, memories of iftars in Ramadan will be filled with imaginations of enjoying nasi ambeng with friends and family.

Over time, when this practice continues, having nasi ambeng for iftar becomes part of the Ramadan tradition in Singapore – a re-invention of tradition.

Due to the resemblance of the side dishes and significance of nasi ambeng in a ritual, it has been compared with nasi tumpeng.

However, while nasi tumpeng has been served more in commemorative events or rituals; nasi ambeng is closely affiliated to the thanksgiving ritual of slametan, kenduren or kenduri.

Known by other names such as nasi berkat, nasi bancaan or even nasi tumpeng in other Javanese communities in the world, nasi ambeng distinguishes itself from other variants of food served in a slametan by the manner in which it is being served – in a tray and having people sitting around it (‘ambengan’ in Javanese).

In the past, the nasi ambeng is not consumed in situ but be divided equally among those seated around it, packed and brought home to be shared with family. The packed food is often referred to as nasi berkat.

So the same dish of rice with side dishes can change its term of reference from being the focus of attention in a ritual as nasi tumpeng or nasi bancaan (usually placed in front of the person leading the congregational supplications and announcing the intent [‘hajat’] of the host); then becomes nasi ambeng when people sit around it to consume just enough; and thereafter becomes nasi berkat when it is brought home.

As you enjoy your nasi ambeng as part of the iftar or breaking of fast this Ramadan, know that you are part of the reinvention of the nasi ambeng tradition, from slametan to Ramadan.

SEEKING MINDFULNESS IN COMMUNAL RITUAL COOKING

Nasi ambeng and nasi tumpeng are Javanese cuisines that comes with a platter of rice accompanied with a number of side dishes, usually served as part of commemorating an event or a communal ritual like the slametan.

The side dishes tend to require preparation that takes much effort and usually challenging to be prepared by one person.

Given the variety of preparation and cooking methods, one has to be fully aware of the sequence and approach to preparing all the dishes, to be ready by the time that ritual of slametan ends.

While much studies have been on the slametan, usually attended by men, I have yet to read about the ritual that is occurring in the kitchen that usually begins way before the first verse is reciter during a slametan.

Having found food preparation therapeutic, I began to read about mindfulness in cooking and saw that possibility that the communal cooking that accompanies the communal ritual of slametan is a ritual on its own.

NASI AMBENG AS CULINARY HERITAGE

In recent memory, there has been much interest on nasi ambeng and in response to requests for me to talk about it, I presented my thoughts with “From Ritual to Table – Nasi Ambeng as Culinary Heritage” on 29 May at the Malay Heritage Centre.

Coincidentally, it was also the 5th Anniversary of the opening of the exhibition on the Javanese community in Singapore.

Gathering much of the things I know, the ritual communal meal that is affectionately known as nasi ambeng tend to be a cursory reference in much of the literature about Javanese culture.

In reading the compendium on Javanese culture by Prof Koentjaraningrat, the first reference was as “lauk-pauk slametan” or the side dishes for slametan.

Slametan is the thanksgiving ritual that has been quite synonymous to Javanese culture but known here in Singapore as ‘kenduri’ or ‘majlis doa selamat’.

In the past few years and for this Singapore Heritage Festival, there is much written about nasi ambeng.

In reading most of them, and adding my own understanding, the memories and imagination of nasi ambeng seems to be:

(1) communal feast and also, communal cooking

(2) part of a ritual – slametan/kenduri

(3) rice with a number of side dishes

(4) served on a dulang or round platter/tray

(5) similar to nasi tumpeng

In addition to the above, I shared that the reference to “nasi ambeng” could be peculiar to Singapore, Malaysia, and to some extent, in Suriname.

In most other places, including Indonesia, it is referred to as nasi tumpeng or nasi berkat. Of course, when it is a nasi tumpeng, there are features that would be more distinctive.

Hence, the reference to “nasi ambeng” could be a peculiar cultural heritage of the Javanese in Singapore and Malaysia.

In concluding my talk, I showed that item (3) is the mose agreeable feature while items (1), (2) and (5) are debatable.

One thing that is clear from my survey is that the use of the round tray or platter seems to be peculiarly of Javanese heritage in Singapore and Malaysia.

In Indonesia, not only in Java, ambengan tends to refer to food in a box-like container, like the besek.

Even in the book on Javanese Culture by Prof Koentjaraningrat, the food from the slametan which is the nasi ambeng/berkat/tumpeng is described as being packed in a besek, a square box made of bamboo strips.

With these clarifications about the various imaginations and memories, the nasi ambeng can be considered a culinary heritage, but to which extent of its features?

MAKING SENSE OF THE RICE PLATTER TYPOLOGY

In making sense of nasi ambeng, tumpeng, etc, I have summarised the various accounts and variations into this schema.

I know that for those who begin to explore more about nasi ambeng may get confused by the variations in terms and references.

I hope this almost Venn Diagram helps to make sense of the knowledge field.

NASI AMBENG AS A MANIFESTATION OF COMMUNAL COOKING AND FEASTING

In a slametan or kenduri, the men are mostly involved in the main area where prayers are recited.

Where are the womenfolk?

Mostly, at the back, preparing the communal feast known as nasi ambeng.

The preparation of the dishes take time and for those who are familiar with the process, it is done in a certain sequence.

The amount of work needed to prepare the various dishes could only reflect one thing – communal cooking. The preparation was not meant to be done by one family. It takes a team in the kitchen to ensure that all the dishes are done right.

Some dishes cannot be rushed and make take very long hours, resulting possibly in shift work.

The meal is also not consumed alone and at the ritual itself.

It is meant to be divided among the congregants, and packed to be brought home to share with the family of the men who attended. Hence the need to ensure proper preparation so that the food do not turn bad too soon.

Only a small amount was being eaten while the rest are packed for home.

Due to this practical feature as well as a need to move away from pre-Islamic symbolism; that we see a difference between the arrangements for nasi ambeng and nasi tumpeng.

In nasi tumpeng, the conical or mount of rice is surrounded by the dishes to represent that flora and fauna of a mountain in the centre.

In most nasi ambeng, the dishes are placed in the centre on top of the rice usually separated with a layer of banana leaf, where it is easier to reach the rice as its not in the centre.

The rice is divided followed by the dishes.

However, it seems that both of them appear to be similar.

The displacement of the nasi ambeng away from it’s ritual and communal setting makes it a challenge for serving in a commercial setting.

For one, conceptually, there should not be a nasi ambeng for one or two persons.

Secondly, it takes much resources to cook all the dishes for small orders.

Nevertheless, cultural traditions and practices evolve.

In a more religious setting, it could be considered as cultural innovation or cultural bida’ah.

The emphasis on consuming nasi ambeng at the same sitting is also likely to encourage excessive eating but it was not meant to be so.

In the traditions of nasi tumpeng, the various flavours of the dishes were meant to reflect the flavours of life.

As the innovated tradition of the nasi ambeng is likely to follow suit, we should expect the same practice of consumption but we see the picking of dishes and the neglect of those that we do not favour.

What began as an element of communal gatherings has now become something less that communal.

That’s the life of any cultural artefact- it evolves and changes.

We decide how we want to preserve and sustain it’s initial and early intention.

IN A BOX OR ON A PLATTER/TRAY

Nasi ambeng in Jawa Tondano, Sulawesi, is served in square ‘box’.

In Malaysia, Singapore and Suriname, it’s served on a platter or tray.