Okay, no photos today. That's because we're focussing on local recipes to help ease the grumblings of an unhappy belly. I'm not sure that you can find the same ingredients in North America but it's always worth a try. As I've learned here in Indo, substitution works. It may not taste exactly the same but there's no harm in trying.
One of the first things that people here recommend when they find out that you have stomach ailments are charcoal tablets. The ones here are branded Norritt, and they really are little black tablets of charcoal. You swallow up to nine in one shot. Not my favourite thing to do, but it eases the bubbles if need be. I don't, however, recommend going out and chewing on the charcoal bits from your woodstove (dad...don't even think about it!!!! LOL). I'm sure there's charcoal tablets to be found in a pharmacy near you!
This is a recipe to help relieve diarrhea, given to me by a friend who, like me, has not dared to try it yet. However, it was given to her by someone who has lived here much longer than us and who swears it works. Check it out...and notice that it's not high on the "tasty" list:
*1 litre warm water
*2 tablespoons sugar
*1 teaspoon salt
*pinch of baking soda
Mix this together and drink as often as possible.
Couldn't you just make cookie dough and add a litre of water? It's almost the same. Just omit the margarine, eggs and flour!
My favourite drink, oddly one that I discovered just before moving to Indonesia in the small city of Courtenay, BC, is ginger tea. It's made up of ginger, sweetener of some kind, and water. However, since I have moved here my pembantu (helper) has shown me how to make it from scratch and it tastes much better. If you like ginger, you've got to try this. Where nothing else has helped ease my tummy troubles, this has at least calmed down my stomach.
Boil together (these are all approximations because I came into the kitchen after the tea was boiling):
*1 litre water
*1 green tea bag (steeps in the water as it boils)
*1/4 cup fresh ginger, chopped into 3 cm rounds
*1/4 c red raw sugar (you can use white, but red is common in Indonesia. Add your own amount to taste)
Boil these together until all sugar is dissolved and the water is quite dark with the steeping tea. Probably about 5 minutes. Strain and drink immediately OR strain and cool in the refrigerator. Both ways are wonderful.
If you ever try any of these gastro-calming remedies (or just try the ginger tea for a refreshing drink) let me know what you think.
Thanks for reading!
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