Recipe
Beras kencur — Javanese jamu of rice and kencur
- Herb:
- Kencur Kaempferia galanga
- Method:
- Culinary use
- Plant part:
- Root
About 30 minIntermediateRecipe science profile
Procedure
- Soak 100 g of rice for 3 hours, drain and dry-roast to a golden colour.
- Slice 50 g of peeled kencur and 20 g of ginger and blend with the rice and 500 ml of water until smooth.
- Strain through a cloth, squeeze well and top up with 500 ml of water.
- Season with 3 tablespoons of palm sugar, a teaspoon of tamarind paste and a pinch of salt; serve chilled.
Extraction
- Herb:
- 50 g of fresh kencur and 100 g of rice per 1 l of drink
- Solvent:
- blend the soaked rice and rhizome with water and strain; flavour with palm sugar and tamarind
- Shelf life:
- 2 days in the fridge
- Target compounds:
- essential oil (ethyl p-methoxycinnamate, ethyl cinnamate) and rice starch form a cloudy drink
Notes
A traditional Javanese drink that jamu sellers carry through the streets in baskets. Sweet, warm and camphorous in taste; the catalogue lists it as a cultural recipe without health claims.
Why it works
Kencur rhizome contains an oil with ethyl p-methoxycinnamate and ethyl cinnamate, which give the drink its characteristic camphorous sweetness; roasted rice adds starch, body and a lightly toasted taste. The review by Kumar 2020 summarises anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antimicrobial activity of kencur extracts from laboratory and animal studies; clinical evidence in humans is lacking, so beras kencur is a traditional drink, not a medicine.
Literature
- Kumar A (2020): Phytochemistry, pharmacological activities and uses of traditional medicinal plant Kaempferia galanga L. – An overview. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 253:112667 — Review of composition (ethyl p-methoxycinnamate) and predominantly preclinical data.
Related
Kencur — Herb card
Culinary use — Processing method detail