Stay healthy with traditional 'jahe pletok'<\/p>\n
Singgir Kartana, Contributor, Magelang, Central Java<\/p>\n
In the competitive food and beverage business there is a well-
\nknown adage that the ingredients might be similar but the taste
\nshould be different, depending on how you brew and serve them.<\/p>\n
The same saying goes for 40-year-old Wahyudi, a jahe pletok or
\ninstant ginger drink vendor from Magelang regency, Central Java.<\/p>\n
The beverage's unique name was coined by Wahyudi himself to
\ndistinguish his product from others and to bring good luck to his
\nbusiness.<\/p>\n
Jahe means ginger, but pletok is hardly found in any
\nIndonesian dictionary. Javanese people are familiar with the word
\nas it is often associated with a loud popping sound.<\/p>\n
\"The brand, Jahe Pletok, arouses people's curiosity so that
\nthey wish to try the product,\" said Yudi, as he is fondly called.<\/p>\n
Though similar ginger powders with the same ingredients and
\npositive health effect are available, people still prefer to buy
\nYudi's.<\/p>\n
The main ingredients for the beverage are ginger, sugar, brown
\nsugar, kayu secang or sappanwood (Caesalpinia sappan) and
\nIndonesian cinnamon (Cinnamomum burmannii). To serve it, all the
\ningredients are mixed together with hot or cold water and,
\ndepending on one's taste, ice cubes can be added to the beverage.<\/p>\n
The drink is believed to be good for one's health. Sappanwood,
\nfor example, contains substances like saffron and tannin and
\nphenil prophil acetat, which are believed to help relieve
\nbreathing difficulties, increase appetite, help the digestion
\nprocess and prevent flatulence.<\/p>\n
The sweet, exotic aroma of cinnamon brings a novel sensation
\nto the drinker and is also believed to prevent someone from
\ncatching a cold.<\/p>\n
However, Bambang Sulistiyo, a traditional medicine expert,
\nsaid that such a drink should be categorized as a herbal drink or
\ntonic, not a drug.<\/p>\n
\"The function is to improve stamina -- to prevent a disease
\nbut not cure it,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Yudi started his business in 1995, and was inspired by bir
\npletok, a local beverage that also used ginger in its
\ningredients, after a visit to Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Upon his return to his hometown in Magelang, he tried to
\nconcoct his own beverage using ginger and produced jahe pletok,
\nwhich is totally different in its ingredients and production
\nmethod to Jakarta's bir pletok. In 1996, the Ministry of Health
\nrecognized his product and licensed it.<\/p>\n
In the beginning, Wahyudi sold his jahe pletok from door to
\ndoor in Magelang and its environs.<\/p>\n
As his product became more popular, Yudi did not have to
\ntravel again. For two years now, customers have gone to his
\nresidence in Candirejo village, Magelang, to buy the beverage,
\neither for personal consumption or for resale.<\/p>\n
Jahe pletok is packaged in a small box containing 250 grams of
\npowder, costing Rp 5,000 (60 US cents).<\/p>\n
Yudi can sell about 1,000 boxes per month. The beverage is now
\navailable in many parts of Java, such as Semarang, Yogyakarta
\n(Central Java), Bandung (West Java) and Surabaya (East Java).<\/p>\n
He said that the manufacture of jahe pletok was not as
\ncomplicated as one might think. First, pieces of ginger are
\nwashed clean and grated. Some water is poured into the mix and
\nthen one must wait until the residue of the ginger develops. It
\nis then strained to obtain the essence .<\/p>\n
The essence is then mixed with sugar, brown sugar and certain
\nspices, and boiled.<\/p>\n
Yudi said that one must keep stirring the mixture for up to an
\nhour to prevent it from becoming lumpy.<\/p>\n
A similar method is used when he makes other traditional
\ntonics such as kunir asem, kunir putih, temulawak and gula asem.<\/p>\n
The whole process is handled by Wahyudi himself. Sometimes,
\nhis mother, Ibu Parinten, lends a hand.<\/p>\n
In order to maintain the special flavor, Yudi carefully
\nmeasures the ingredients. The ratio of ginger and sugar is 1:3,
\nmeaning that for one kilogram (kg) of ginger, he needs two kg of
\nsugar and one kg of brown sugar. In addition, he needs an ounce
\nof a mixture of sappanwood and cinnamon.<\/p>\n
Since Candirejo people plant spices in their own gardens, Yudi
\noften asks his neighbors for some, like ginger, and grows others
\nin his own backyard.<\/p>\n
\"We have abundant materials here,\" he remarked.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/stay-healthy-with-traditional-jahe-pletok-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }