Jamu!

---

Once a week the house we stay in is transformed into an efficient, large scale Jamu factory. Over 100 Javanese herbs and spices are peeled, mashed, ground, boiled, soaked, dryed, blended, encapsulated. In one bucket I am shown a root that is like ginger but with ten times the strength, a chunk of cinnamon bark the size of my arm, whole nutmeg, pepper, honey bark, and a white pomagranite fruit. Sehat, makes you strong, Woko tells me pointing to a bubbling cauldren overfolling with bright orange liquid. A team of about ten men easily work together, everyone knowing exactly what to do when, how to help each other out. It seems as though everyone is doing everything, and yet it unfolds like an assembly line. John and I move around taking photos, tasting herbs, generally being amazed.

---

Comments

[erinvv]

miss you!
i am so glad to see you both happy and exploring! thanks for sending me the blog, you both rock. love you! - erin

[Mom2]

Looks yummy!

[grandpa]

Ver y Interesting
I think you are having a ball! Everything you are doing sounds very interesting. The different kinds of food you are eating sound good but I bet you don't have anything that compares to Parky's hot dogs from Chicago. It looks like you are very well situated over there. The way Silvia is smilling - she looks very happy. You must have that kid pretty mesmirized. Hope to see you soon - miss you very much. Take care, Boom Boom and give Silvia a big hug for me. Grandpa