‘Kenitir’ flower, answer to many ills

(News Terupdate) - Ida Ayu Laksmi Pratiwi was curious when she saw a monkey in Pelaki Temple ravenously eating kenitir flowers.

After doing some research, Laksmi – a first grader at state high school SMA 4 in Denpasar, found the flower boasted medicinal qualities.

The 15-year-old girl dried the flower and discovered it was anti-inflammatory, diuretic, could treat coughs, digestive problems and mumps. On top of all that, it is also known for preventing nausea and curing infection of the upper respiratory tract.

“Kenitir apparently has a myriad of medical properties. I had a sore mouth and it was cured two day after I drank a kenitir infusion three times a day,” Laksmi said.

In Bali, the kenitir flower can easily be found in paddy fields, as well as people’s backyards as it grows naturally.

It is also available at traditional markets, with people usually using the flower for decorative and religious purposes.

“As far as I know, nobody has used the flower for food or beverage. Some people use young kenitir leaves for cooking,” Laksmi said.

Her family has — since her discovery — been helping her prepare the drink to better promote the healing qualities of the kenitir flower.

She usually buys the flowers at the traditional market and desiccates them until completely waterless. The dried flowers are then crushed using a food processor. After a little clove is added, voila, the tea-like drink is ready.

“It is very simple to prepare a kenitir drink. It has a brownish color and tastes astringent just like tea.”

Initially, Laksmi only prepared the drink for her family’s benefit. As more people found out about kenitir, her neighbors, relatives, friends, even tourists from Netherlands and Japan, also wanted to taste the drink. Laksmi was once asked to showcase her product in an exhibition held by the Denpasar administration.

As the drink became more popular, and Laksmi started to receive orders, she designed her own packaging, labeling it “Laksmi Tea”.

Her homemade product uses no preservative, but it can last quite long. Laksmi said she didn't want to add chemical substances, given the current trend of organic products.

“I’m wondering whether to work with farmers who use organic fertilizers, so that our product will be 100 percent organic,” she said.

To speed up the drink preparation, Laksmi desiccates the flowers in an oven, besides drying them under the sun.

“We only run a small-scale production and only prepare small amounts,” she said, adding the family had received two orders from the Netherlands and Japan.

The family decided to stop producing the drink until they secured a patent, to avoid someone else taking over their exclusive rights.

“We are now in the process of getting a patent. We have registered it with the Trade and Industry Agency, as well as with the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency,” said her father IB Oka.

“Acquiring the patent is not just a marketing exercise, but is more about showing appreciation for my daughter’s efforts. I hope it can encourage her to be more innovative,” he said.

Aiming to create more herbal medicines, Laksmi is currently developing eye drops from kenitir flower extracts.

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