Traditional Javanese drinks (beverage)

Spices have some beneficial for our health. But direct consuming of spices are not suggested because much of active compound from those. Active compound from spices have some physiological effect. example   like gingerol from ginger, oleoresin and specific flavor from piper, camphene from lemon grass give hot physiologic. Eugenol  has high antioxidant activity from cloves extract, terpenoid from Alyxia reinwardtii, geraniol from lemongrass and other spices with beneficial effect. The One of safe utilize spices for beneficial health is extracting them solely or mixing together by hot water before its drunk.

The drinking of various mix spices has formulated by traditional Javanese culture. Almost of them serving at warm condition. Direct effects of consuming spices drinking are sweating and more fresh physiologic. Some popular of traditional Javanese drinks are made from various spices i.e. : Ginger, piper nigrum, Kaempferia galangal, lemon grass, Candle nuts, Foeniculum vulgare, Alyxia reinwardtii, Cinnamon, Kaffir lime, and cloves. Some of popular traditional Javanese beverages are:

1. Ginger beverage

Ginger drink is spicy beverage and very popular served at cold weather especially at afternoon or night. This beverage were prepared by roasting of ginger than bruised to better extraction at boiling water, for sweetener flavor sometimes has added by palm sugar or sugarcane. Ginger drink have some efficacious for treating indigestion, colds, relieve the pain of rheumatism, and migraine. Very simple preparation and formulation to make this drink made not easy found at shops.

2. Lemon grass beverage

Lemon grass beverage is very popular beverage in the village area especially at the time after harvesting of paddy. The farmer brings this drinking to the field of paddy culture as drinking at break time. Lemon grass drink has made from leaves lemon grass mixing with citrus and sugarcane for sweetener. The infusion is also used to loosen and lessen mucous, to treat fevers, cramps, and stress.

3. Ronde beverage

Ronde beverage is unique name traditional Javanese because Ronde is adopted from Dutch language of round perhaps as a result of influence of Dutch colonization in Java. As if the name, ronde beverage has small ball glutinous rice patty. Spices ingredient of ronde beverage are ginger, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, Kaffir lime, lemon grass and pandan leaves for flavoring and coloring drink. Ronde beverages have efficacious for cough and cold.
4. Bandrek beverage

 Bandrek is Javanese spicy beverage as influence of serbat Middle East traditional beverage. Serbat were made from various dried spices like, ginger, piper nigrum, Kaemferia galangal, Citronella or Lemon grass, Candle nuts (Aleurites moluccana), Foeniculum vulgare and Alyxia reinwardtii, sometime adding by palm sugar, sugarcane or mixing sugar together. Bandrek have some efficacious for flatulent, cold, and more delicious if added by duck eggs yolk and milk.