If Jamu juice isn’t in your beverage rotation, you might want to add it. In Indonesia, where the drink became popular, it’s popular for its purported anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immune-boosting effects, a May 2020 blog post on Medium claims.
It’s true that some of its ingredients are healthy, including lemons, whose juice provides 18.6 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C per fruit, according to the USDA. This makes them an excellent source of nutrients.
Other healthy ingredients in jamu juice include ginger, which may have antiviral properties, previous preliminary research suggested, and turmeric, which, in an October 2017 article in Foods Notes, offers anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties — largely due to its active ingredient curcumin.
This recipe calls for fresh turmeric, but if you can’t find that, a ground version of the spice will do. However, keep in mind that ground turmeric can have a stronger flavor than the fresh variety, so you may need to adjust the amount depending on the flavor you want.
If black pepper seems out of place in this recipe, it’s not. Its compound piperine increases how much curcumin your body can absorb, according to previous research, making black pepper and turmeric a powerful pair.
Makes 6 servings (serving size: ¾ cup)
ingredients
¾ cup fresh turmeric root (about 100g), washed and sliced (you can leave the skin intact)*
1 large piece of fresh ginger (about 4 inches), washed and sliced (you can leave the skin intact)
4 cups of water
1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp honey
2 lemons, juiced
directions
- Place turmeric, ginger, water and pepper in a blender. Blend on high until mixture is completely smooth.
- Place the mixture in a medium-sized saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and continue to simmer for 15 minutes.
- Once the mixture has finished cooking, remove from heat and allow to cool slightly before straining through a fine mesh sieve (or cheesecloth).
- Add honey and lemon juice and serve chilled. The mixture will naturally separate as it cools, so give it a light stir before serving.
*Note: If you don’t have fresh turmeric on hand, don’t worry. Substitute 1 tbsp of ground turmeric for fresh turmeric root in this recipe and enjoy!
Nutritional Facts Per Serving: 34 Calories, 0g Total Fat (0g Saturated Fat), 0g Protein, 8g Carbohydrate, 0g Fiber, 6.2g Sugars (5.8g Added Sugars), 1mg Sodium
