By Santhi H. Serad

The rain-watered, sun-drenched highlands of Indonesia are ideal for growing top-quality tea. Since the establishment of the first tea plantations in the seventeenth century, Indonesians have developed intriguing tea-drinking rituals – many still followed in the present era – and created unique and exotic tea-based beverages. Leaf It To Tea explores the fascinating world of Indonesian tea, and the nation’s equally rich traditions of herbal beverages and tonics. Instructions for brewing the perfect cup of tea, and recipes for preparing delicious, soothing, and healthful herbal beverages, will enable the reader to experience the wonders of Indonesian tea in their own home.

Born in Bandung 14 September 1972, she has a great understanding of how Indonesian herbal remedies have helped address Indonesia’s health problems for generations. Her parents, Suwarno M. Serad and Hertuti Suwarno, acquainted her with herbal use from a young age, and she has discovered first-hand proof of herbal benefits. Santhi has won numerous research awards, starting when she since she was still studying in the Animal Sciences Faculty at the Diponegoro University in Semarang, Java. She received her Master of Science in Food Science and Technology from Curtin University of Technology in Australia. A co-founder of ACMI (I Love Indonesian Cooking) movement to preserve culinary culture of the archipelago, today Santhi is also actively involved in various national organizations, including as Vice Secretary General of Indonesian Association of Muslim Intellectuals (ICMI); Section Head of International and Inter-organizational Relations at National Volleyball Federation of Indonesia (PBVSI); and active membership at the Institution of Engineers-Indonesia (PII). As President Director of PT. Ilthabi Sentra Herbal that owns Kebun Bumi Herbal Dago plantation, Santhi actively encourages her company to preserve, cultivate, and utilize Indonesian herbs and spices. As an avid handicraft and yoga enthusiast, Santhi believes that the health of body and mind can only come from a balance within the person and with the environment. Her concern over the diminishing knowledge of herbal remedies and usage from the daily lives of most Indonesians had compelled Santhi to write this book. Her love of photography is evident in the pictures that complete this book.

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