Piper sarmentosum Roxb.

It's been some time since I did a post on herbs. I admit I was carried away on other news items and had forgotten about my series about medicinal herbs. Well, today I shall continue with Piper sarmentosum Roxb. or Kaduk. It is also known as sirih duduk in Malay. The infusion of this herb, which belongs to the pepper plants, reduces blood sugar.

Kaduk is commonly used in many types of Malay cooking. It can also be eaten as a salad or ulam if boiled and dipped in sambal belacan. This plant easily grows wild in wet areas.

Drinking water boiled with kaduk leaves is a traditional cure for malaria. This infusion is also supposed to help relief cough, cold, backache and toothache. It is also attributed to provide neuromuscular blocking activity.