Without the arrival of the Covid vaccine on any acceptable scale on the horizon, many are turning to herbal and natural ‘remedies’ to ward off the virus or in an attempt to mitigate its severity.
The latest fad is the belief that the Kaempfer (fingerroot) plant is good for boosting the immune system with one small business capitalising on this latest trend, to great success.
Mae Rim Police Station’s coffee concession stand has taken to selling ten baht shots of concentrated kaempfer as well as hot kaempfer for 40 baht which has added lime and honey.
“For only ten baht we don’t have to bother to go and make it ourselves,” said Yim, 25 who says she stops by for a shot every morning on the way to work. “It may not work, it may work. I don’t know, but at ten baht I think it is worth trying.”
Sairung Lewalit, the 47 year old woman who owns the concession stand told CityNews that she got the idea after talking to the station’s chief inspector who is a health fanatic and likes to talk about herbs. She began to sell these drinks during the first shutdown last year, but it has begun to gain traction and interest over the past month as fears of the new surge grows.
She says that there is now so much interest she is beginning to package her drinks and hopes to market them to a wider clientele.
For those who wish to make this herbal drink at home, she recommends simply purchasing the root, cleaning and peeling it and putting it all in a blender with some hot water. Add a few tea spoonful of this blend in with honey and lime and the mixture can be kept in a fridge for months.