Sunday, November 2, 2008

Decoctions, "Peyavas" And "Kalkas"

Indigenous medicine is a self-reliant system with its own philosophy. It has unique medical methods in preparing peyavas, putapakas, kalkas and oils.

The decoction is fairly well known among the Sinhalese. Boil 8 cups to one cup. Peyava is to boil the ingredients in eight cups of water and simmer it down to four cups. Then you have to add the pori or rice pop-corns and boil again to one or one and a half cups. For the Putapaka the raw herbal leaves are pounded and steamed under hot embers and the juice extracted. For the Kalka the herbs are ground and boiled into a paste with sugar candy or sugar.
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