This leaf’s Latin name is Alphinia Zerumbet but in Japanese it is referred to as getto . The getto plant, which has large green leaves, red berries and white flowers, has been a feature of Okinawan food for centuries and is believed to be an ‘elixir of youth’.
It can grow up to 2.5 meters or more in ideal conditions. The leaves are very long and strikingly variegated with irregular stripes of green and yellow and have a distinct spicy fragrance.
The leaves are now used for making herbal tea.
The tea is hypotensive (aids people to lower their blood pressure), diuretic (promotes the production of urine, which is turn detoxifies the body), and has anti-ulcer genic properties (which helps heal and prevent ulcers in the stomach). The leaves are also a home remedy, used in bath water to alleviate fevers.