National Cultural Heritage, Reviving Herbal Tradition Amid Modernization

JAKARTA - In the midst of such a fast pace of modernization, culture and traditions are often marginalized. Even so, along with the development of the times, herbal medicine still survives as a strong-rooted cultural heritage of the archipelago.

Herbal Medicine is an art as well as knowledge, which since hundreds of years ago has become an important part of people's lives. From villages to cities, from traditional markets to modern cafes, herbal medicine continues to find its way.

The process of making herbal medicine is not just making ingredients. There is a long journey involving the heart, skill, and deep knowledge of medicinal plants. As told by Jono Yuwono, CEO of PT Sinde Budi Sentosa.

"The herbal medicine maker made the herbal medicine from hitting the rice, destroying the turmeric, causing it to be boiled, sheared," he said in an official statement.

Each stage of work requires accuracy and patience to ensure that all natural benefits are maintained. Even in a day, the women who make herbal medicine not only mix one or two types, but various kinds of herbal medicine according to the needs of the community.

"In a day they don't make one or two concoctions, every day they make a concoction of 3'6, kencur rice, sour turmeric turmeric, bitterness, ginger, and others. It is filtered and put in a bottle of one liter. When it enters the basket, you can imagine one basket weighing 6 kg-11 kg," added Jono.

They carried the heavy burden with enthusiasm, walking from one place to another to spread the benefits of herbal medicine to the community.

The Jamu Festival 2025 event held a 2.5K Fun Walk by bringing herbal medicine, Gendong Herbal Creation by the community of Laskar Jamu Gendong, and Free Flow Jamu Booth which allowed visitors to enjoy various types of herbal medicine for free.

In order to welcome Kartini Day and as part of the commemoration of Dasa Windu (80 of Indonesia), the Antaki Jamu Festival held a festival with the theme #Terbitlah Terang in the historic area of Kota Tua Jakarta on April 27, 2025. This festival represents the spirit of updating and preserving local wisdom through herbal medicine.

"When the participants walk side by side with them, it is hoped that they can see their real struggle. Under any economic conditions, they will continue to run," said Jono.

Efforts to introduce herbal medicine to the younger generation and urban communities continue to be carried out through various creative ways. Festivals such as the Event of the Jamu Festival are important spaces to reunite love for herbal medicine. This festival is not only about tasting traditional drinks, but a journey of education about philosophy, history, and noble values contained in each of its graduates.

An important momentum for the herbal medicine world comes in 2023, when UNESCO officially recognizes Indonesian herbal medicine as World Intangible Cultural Heritage in the category of traditional health practices.

This admission is proof that herbal medicine is not only valuable in Indonesia, but is also recognized by the world as a relevant local wisdom-based health solution today. With the principles of preventing disease, body balance, and the use of natural ingredients, herbal medicine offers a more needed holistic approach amid modern global health challenges.

Not surprisingly, various innovations have now emerged to package herbal medicine in a more attractive form and according to current tastes, without leaving its traditional roots. On the other hand, cultural communities and MSME actors are actively maintaining the preservation of herbal medicine with various new creations, ranging from packaged herbal medicine, herbal cafes, to workshops mixing herbal medicine for young people.