Traditional remedies a hit in Johor heat

Chinese herbs, cooling teas said to help regulate body temperature in capricious weather

SUDDEN changes in weather – from scorching heat to thunderstorms – have caused many to turn to Chinese herbs and cooling teas to avoid falling sick.

A Chinese medicine shop owner who only wanted to be known as Teck said sales of herbal tea at his shop in Kulai, Johor, had gone up by about 20% since the beginning of March.

“I brew beverages in-store with traditional herbs that have cooling properties and serve it by the glass.

“Most of my customers are people working nearby.

“They usually stop by for a glass of herbal tea during lunch to eliminate heat from their body, as the weather has been very hot one moment and then wet the next,” he said when interviewed.

He added that other herbs such as chrysanthemum, luo han guo (monk fruit) and honeysuckle flowers were also in demand for those who preferred to brew them at home.

In Taman Sentosa, Johor Baru, traditional Chinese medicine shop manager Yeo Kai Ping said ready-to-drink herbal teas were popular among younger customers as it saved them the hassle of brewing the beverage themselves.

“The instant tea packs provide convenience as the consumer can just add hot water instead of boiling herbs for a period of time.

A customer choosing some cooling herbs at a traditional Chinese medicine shop in Taman Sentosa, Johor Baru.

“However, customers with families and children still prefer making their own herbal tea at home as a precautionary measure because of the temperamental weather,” he added.

Yeo said there had been an increase in people with cough and flu since March and advised them to get an influenza vaccine to lower the risk of falling ill and reduce severity of their symptoms.

Despite the price of Chinese herbs increasing significantly, many customers are still buying them to cook nourishing soups at home to keep their family healthy, he said.

“The price of common herbs used in Chinese cooking, such as dang shen (Codonopsis), has gone up gradually to more than RM200 per kg from RM100 before the Covid-19 pandemic; dang gui (Chinese Angelica) is now around RM400 per kg, increased by about 100%.

“Suppliers attribute the price hike to inconsistent production of herbs brought on by weather changes in China, which caused a shortage in the market,” he said, adding that the shrinking ringgit value played a part too.

Yeo said consumers complained about the price hike initially, and had altered their purchasing habits.

“They have been buying only essential herbs and in smaller quantities rather than splurging on premium items such as bird’s nest and ginseng since prices went up,” he said.