Wedang: Javanese Hot Drink Culture

*Wedang* (from Javanese *wed* — hot water, *ang* — suffix indicating origin or type) refers to the tradition of hot spiced drinks consumed in the Javanese cultural heartland (Yogyakarta, Solo, and surrounding areas) as evening ritual, medicine, and social practice. Bajigur (the Sundanese coconut milk ginger drink, covered in earlier batches) is the most widely known member of this family, but the Javanese wedang tradition is more diverse and more specifically Javanese in character, with preparations that reflect the court culture's integration of spice as both flavour and medicine. Wedang is consumed in the cool highland evenings of Yogyakarta, at angkringan stalls alongside nasi kucing, and as home remedies during illness.

Wedang — The Javanese Tradition of Warming Herbal Drinks

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