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Off the shoulders of ‘Mbok’, into cafes and online stores: Jamu herbal drink enters Digital Age
Nowadays the herbal drink jamu can be found in cafes and online stores.
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Visitors enjoy food and 'jamu' herbal drinks at Suwe Ora Jamu cafe in Petogogan, Jakarta, in July 2017. (JP/Wienda Parwitasari)
W
ith the popularity of jamu in decline among urban youths and middle-aged mbok (woman) selling jamu on the street now a rare sight, some have sought to repopularize the herbal drink with modern means.
The effort to repopularize jamu reflects in the growing number of jamu cafes. One of them, Acaraki, borrows the coffee bar concept and methods of brewing. It sells jamu brewed using equipment intended for coffee, such as coffee grinders, espresso machines and French presses.
Its founder, Jony Yuwono, opened the first store at the Kertaniaga building of Kota Tua in West Jakarta last year. He has now opened a second store in Kemang, South Jakarta, known for its upscale restaurants and cafes.
Jony said his store concept started with the realization that jamu was in decline among the youth and that people prefer coffee to jamu, despite both commonly tasting bitter.
“Coffee is bitter, but people drink it anyway, so why not jamu?” Jony said during the opening event of the Kemang outlet on Sunday.
He said coffee was enjoyed for its taste and aroma, diversified thanks to baristas’ exploration of coffee.
Acaraki Kota Tua offers three methods of jamu brewing: French press, pourover V60, and espresso machine. In Kemang, Acaraki offers up to eight methods, with the addition of rokrepsso, flairesso, aeropress, syphon, mokapot, and cold drip.
