Monday, May 17, 2010

Misai Kuching @ Cat whisker....

Folks, this is an herbal plant that has been with us for generation and now it has been commercialized as an herbal tea. We have planted this plant in a pot and from time to time it bloom with that unique flower which looks like the whisker of the cat. Thus I believe the Malay call it the Misai Kucing [Orthosiphon stamineus]. Here are some images of the flower which bloom beautifully behind our house. Enjoy it as much as I had enjoyed photographing it. Have a nice day.

7 comments:

Temuk said...

Salam Pak Idrus
Nice pictures & useful write-up about misai kucing. It's nice to have your own MK plants ( & other herbs) around the house, and may be you can try to make your own MK tea. I used to dry rosemary leaves myself & have them added to my coffee or tea. I still haven't got the chance to drink MK tea.

Pak Idrus said...

Temuk, thanks for the visit and the good words on this posting. I am glad that you enjoy those images. It such a unique flower and I never failed to be amazed with it.

When I was growing up in a Kampong the area around the house was our pharmacy where all the herbs are grown. In those day we rarely call the doctor when one get sick. It is the Dukun that we call and after checking the sick he would ask us to take whatever herbs that are around. More often than not the sick are cured. Well, that was then and now it is a different story altogether.

Have a nice day.

~CovertOperations78~ said...

Salam, Pak Idrus!
Misai Kuching has medicinal properties and improves liver and kidney function, therefore I drink the tea on a regular basis. Nature has provided us with so much -- how foolish we are to have taken so long to realise it! I like the photos you took. They remind me of my cheeky whiskery cats at home.

Pak Idrus said...

~Covert_Operations'78~, Ee Lynn thanks for the visit and sharing your thoughts on the subject of this posting. I am yet to try this herbal tea.

As for those herb that could cure sickness it has been there all the time. When I was growing up in the kampong our pharmacy was around the house. When one got sick there is always a remedy for curing or healing around the house. We should revert to that environment by planting those wonderful herbs in our backyard.

Have a nice day.

Sharifah said...

Interesting post and lovely photos, Pak Idrus. Yes, I agree that it's important to keep the knowledge, and continue using the herbs that are a part of our heritage.

Pak Idrus said...

Sharifah, thanks for the visit and the good words on this posting.

Photography is my other passion and wherever possible I tried to get the best image as possible. That morning the scene of that flower was so magnificent, so I took my camera and just snap it away, voila the image that you are enjoying now. Much as I had enjoyed taking it, happy that others including you in distance land get to enjoy it too.

Such herbs has been with us for generations and it shows there are wisdom why our forefather knew about the wonder of this simple plant. There are so much in our tradition that we have to to learn and understand.

Have a nice day.

Cath Thomas said...

Wonderful pictures ! Love them. I fell in love with this flower a few years ago and tried to find a plant to buy here in Switzerland. It is impossible. only the medications made from the plant are availabe, which i am not interested in. it is the flower that I love. Can ou maybe let me know if I can buy one somewhere on a serious webshop??

many thanks!
C.