Surakarta, August 6th 2022
– Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy/Tourism and Creative Economy Agency (Kemenparekraf) presents a workshop for the International Wellness Tourism Conference & Festival (IWTCF) 2022 participants to understand better about Indonesian traditional herbal drink (jamu), in terms of ingredients used to the benefits it contains.
Deputy for Tourism Products and Events of the MOTCE, Rizki Handayani, in a statement in Solo, Saturday (6/8/2022), explained, the IWTCF 2022 does not only offer a conference that presents more than 30 speakers from the G20 member countries, ASEAN, including Indonesia, but there are also exhibitions and workshops.
"This is to add more experience for participants in one event. Providing education for participants through this workshop needs to be done so that not only Indonesian people can understand more deeply about wellness products, but also foreign tourists. This is one of the ways to attract tourists to travel in Indonesia for wellness purpose. So, we highlight these 'behind wellness products' narratives," according to Rizki Handayani.
The workshop with the theme "Jamu Making" was filled with speakers from the Association of Indonesian Herbal and Traditional Medicine Entrepreneurs (GP Jamu), which took place at the Alila Hotel Solo, Central Java, Saturday (6/8/2022). The speakers included Vice Chairman of the Indonesian Herbal and Traditional Medicine Association, Thomas Hartono; and members of GP Jamu, namely Arief Eka Wardana, Edward Basillianus, Drs. Victor S. Ringoringo, and Ratu Kusuma Anjani
In the workshop, a member of the GP who is also the Marketing Manager of Acaraki, Arief Eka Wardana, explained, jamu as a traditional herb that has been present for generations has been trusted by the Indonesian people as an ingredient for health. The term herbal medicine itself comes from the ancient Javanese language, namely 'jampi' which means mantra or prayer and 'oesodo' which means health.
Along with the rise of coffee shops circulating in Indonesia, Arief admitted that he was inspired to instill the values contained in jamu into people's lives by presenting jamu from a different point of view.
For example, sour turmeric can be mixed with soda, milk, or yogurt. So that later, jamu can not only be consumed when the immune system drops, but it will also become the lifestyle of the Indonesian people. In addition, spice farmers will feel the impact of this changing trend.
"It turns out that jamu can be processed in various ways, not ignoring the ancestral values contained in it. This is carried out to make Indonesian people to be more familiar with jamu, so that it can upgrade," Arief said.
"We can develop wellness tourism from jamu. Because their experience of drinking jamu, their experience of seeing the process of making jamu, how the turmeric is processed and added with tamarind, honey, lemon, or milk becomes an interesting thing for wellness tourism," he added.
The quality of jamu is the main thing to consider. Starting from the selection of fertilizers, water drainage for watering plants, the planting process, to the harvesting process must be carried out optimally to produce quality jamu.
Another member of GP Jamu who is also the Director of Business Development and Innovation of Mustika Ratu, Kusima Anjani, explained that jamu can not only be processed as herbal drinks. By optimizing the existing exotic herbal ingredients, making jamu is not only good for health from the inside, but also for health from the outside.
"For example, the cosmetics that I wear contain Moringa leaf seed extract which is known as a superfood and of course it has so many benefits, such as anti-aging, so that applying make-up can also get skincare benefits," according to the woman familiarly called Ajeng.
Meanwhile, Miss Indonesia 2022 for the Environment, Cindy May McGuire, shared her childhood experience when she tried jamu. According to her, she was very picky when it came to food and drinks. However, since she knew the benefits contain in jamu, especially since it uses natural ingredients, she became interested and tried various jamu.
"The first jamu that I tried was a mix of turmeric and tamarind, and I really liked it. Especially, when I have my period, this mixture helps me a lot to relieve pain. Therefore, I strongly believe that jamu has a function other than as a drink that has been consumed since our ancestors. Jamu can also become a phytopharmaceuticals, medicines that function very well for the body," Cindy explained.
Also attending that occasion was Chef Rahmat, one of the chefs who helped Mustika Ratu in creating herbal drinks. In this workshop, he demonstrated how we can use jamu not only for nutritious drinks and cosmetics but also for wellness. The participants were very enthusiastic to watch his demonstration.
"To make mango turmeric tamarind smoothies, the ingredients needed are banana, pineapple, and ginger, then blend them all without water, the taste will be fresher and healthier. You can also add your favorite toppings," Chef Rahmat explained.
In addition to the 'Jamu Making' workshop, the MOTCE also presented two other workshops at the same time. Namely, the 'Complementary Therapy – a Combination of Medical & Alternative for Mind, Body, and Spirit' workshop initiated by the Indonesia Medical Tourism Association (AWMI) and the '5 Flavor Cornerstones of Indonesia Heritage Food Culture' workshop which was filled by the Food Biodiversity Entrepreneur, Founder of Javara Indigenous Indonesia.
