The clock clanged 8 times. The soft sound of flowing boiling water which was poured into the teapot was heard coming from a house at an elite region in East Jakarta. A distinct fresh aroma was instantly smelt when the thin water vapor dampened the dry red flower petals. Gradually the water which was clear at first turned into dark red. Five minutes afterwards, the fresh tea was poured forth out of the teapot mouth into a small cup.
That is a simple ritual done by Ida Yuliati every night. She always makes herbal tea compound for her husband, Colonel Sudarmo. The dosage is always the same, 20 gram of dry rosela flower is steeped with boiling water as much as 250 ml. Eventhough it is sugarless, the officer of foreign relations of the Army still enjoys it. 'The taste is more fresh with sour and sweet aroma, it is far more delicious than any other drink,' said the father of 4 children.
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The clock clanged 8 times. The soft sound of flowing boiling water which was poured into the teapot was heard coming from a house at an elite region in East Jakarta. A distinct fresh aroma was instantly smelt when the thin water vapor dampened the dry red flower petals. Gradually the water which was clear at first turned into dark red. Five minutes afterwards, the fresh tea was poured forth out of the teapot mouth into a small cup.
That is a simple ritual done by Ida Yuliati every night. She always makes herbal tea compound for her husband, Colonel Sudarmo. The dosage is always the same, 20 gram of dry rosela flower is steeped with boiling water as much as 250 ml. Eventhough it is sugarless, the officer of foreign relations of the Army still enjoys it. 'The taste is more fresh with sour and sweet aroma, it is far more delicious than any other drink,' said the father of 4 children.
The tradition of drinking rosela tea is repeated at 6.10 a.m. as he arrives at the office in Central Jakarta sphere. As soon as he enters the room, Sudarmo steps towards a desk where there are a cup and hot water. He directly pours grains of rosela into the cup and steeps hot water in it. 'Serving herbal tea is not as difficult as making herbal concoction,' said the alumnus of the Academy of Indonesian Armed Forces in 1983.
Hard to get
Sudarmo's routinity in drinking herbal tea has persisted since long ago. Since he was assigned as the military attaché in the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia (KBRI) in Bangkok, Thailand in 2003, Ida has often served him Indian pennywort tea, noni tea, and red pipper tea. In Bangkok, almost everyone is accustomed to drink herbal tea,' Ida said. Herbal tea is available in every shop. The price is also inexpensive. A pack of herbal tea 10 kg weight is only Rp25.000.
When his duty in Bangkok was over in January 2007, Sudarmo and his family returned to Jakarta. Unlike in Bangkok, in this metropolitan city herbal tea is hard to find. Compulsorily, his morning and afernoon habit drinking herbal tea has to be stopped. Whereas, his new function as an officer of foreign relations of the Army makes him gain more weight. It is due to the reason that, 'almost everyday a feast is held in the embassies of bestfriend countries,' said the man originated from East Java.
Regardless of what it is-he consumes all kinds of food-the bad effect of consuming too much food began to show up. When he did a laboratorium test which he takes every 6 months, the result showed, 'my cholesterol soars up to 320 mg/dl,' he said. No wonder Sudarmo often feels stiff Of course the pain is very annoying for the super busy man who was born 48 years ago.
Luckily, not long thereafter, a best friend brought a local rosela tea. Since then he is routinely again consuming herbal tea. 'I believe herbal tea will improve my body condition which has too much cholesterol. Herbal tea is much better than manufactured medicine or vitamin,' he said. According to Sudarmo, after drinking rosela herbal tea, his body becomes healthy and fresh. There is no more stinging stiff. His night sleep is more soundly even it is only for 5 hours.
Continuation
David Akiato Ateha also feels the benefit of dringking herbal tea routinely. The sand mining businessman who does a lot of social work in Jakarta has been addicted to herbal tea. 'My body is more fresh and light after drinking herbal tea,' said the man who was grown up in South Sulawesi. He started to know herbal tea when his body was exhausted after doing social activities in an earthquake area in Bantul, Yogyakarta.
'My body always moves a lot, and suddenly my hand and fingers can not be crumpled,' said David. The 47 years old man suffered from uric acid. That was when his friend advised him to consume tridax daisy tea. The next day, a pinch of dry tridax daisy leaves crumbs was steeped in a glass of boiling hot water. 'Miraculously, just by consuming once, his fingers can be moved again,' he said.
Since then, packs of herbal tea are always protruded in his trouser pocket as a supply. It is because David must be alert with his social aid wherever any catasthrope happened. 'This is the year when the most catasthrope ever occured,' David said. His body must stay healthy every time, therefore he has to routinely conduct his herbal tea ritual drink.
Not herbal concoction
The herbal tea which Sudarmo and David consumes is different from the more familiar tea which is Camelia sinensis tea. The ingredients of herbal tea can be from various plants. According to Dewani, a herbalist in Planta Loka Medica in Lentengagung, South Jakarta, herbal tea means a drink made from plants ingredient-leaves, rhizome, fruits flesh, flowers, and wood bark-which is served by dipping or just soaking it for 3-5 menit in hot water.
Herbal tea is different from herbal concoction. 'Indeed both have plants ingredients, but herbal concoction is identical with boiling and bitter,' said Mangestuti Agil, a pharmacolog of Dr Sutomo hospital in Surabaya. No herbal tea is bitter. All the ingredients are selected from bitterless plants. For example are Indian pennywort leaves, Malay gooseberry leaves, ginger, and rosela. If there is any bitter ingredients, then flavour is required so as to diminish it. For example is a rather bitter bangle rhizome mixed with mint leaves or orange leaves.
According to Mangestuti, as a new lifestyle, drinking herbal tea is absolutely benefiting. It is safer than ordinary herbal concoction. 'The merit of boiled herbal concoction is higher because there are more soluble compound, but the side effect is far bigger. On the contrary, the herbal tea merit takes longer time because there are few soluble compound, but it is safer,' he said. Thus, the herbal tea merit will be perceptible if it is drunk routinely.
Trend
Sudarmo and David are only 2 persons among many who depend their health on herbal tea. Putri Indonesia Favorit 2004, Rissa Susmex is also listed as the celebrity who frequently drinks herbal tea. In Malang, East Java, there is Zainal Gani. The herbalist makes noni tea as a daily drink.
In general they like herbal tea because they want to be back to nature. Then all of a sudden, last year a herbal concoction and traditional medicine manufacturers have begun to process herbal concoction ingredients in the form of a herbal tea. Cafés are built in order to accomodate the desire of the herbal tea devotee.
In Jakarta, places to chat serving herbal tea are mushrooming. The Shangril La Hotel for example. The Lobby lounge of that luxurious five stars hotel becomes a meeting place serving herbal tea such as jasmine, green tea, herbal tea, chamomile, and mint. By only paying Rp78.000, every visitor reserves the right to taste various kinds of tea accompanied by snacks. The café is open starting from 7 a.m. in the morning up to 1 a.m. Beside Shangril La, there are Tea Gallery and Tea Addict in Jakarta which serve the pleasure of herbal tea steepings.
Cautious
Eventhough there is no side effect, the herbal tea consumers must stay cautious. According to Mangestuti Agil, at present it is known that not all plants are safe to be consumed in an enormous amount. 'Consuming too much ginger and nutmegs is not good,' Dewani said. It is best to consume herbal tea not more than 2 glasses per day.
Regarding the herbal tea packaging, make sure that the tea packaging material is safe. At present there is a report that some tea bag packaging material is mixed with bleach. Therefore, choose only the production which use packaging material selectively. In addition, make sure that the manufacturers who make herbal tea understand the standard procedure of the ingredients processing. When all of that have come to be realized, there is no harm if you rest your health on herbal tea just like Sudarmo and David. (Vina Fitriani/ Reporter: Nesia Artdiyasa)
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