Eurycoma longifolia jack (Tongkat Ali) is a small tree found in the jungles throughout Malaysia and Southeat Asia. It is commonly known as Tongkat Ali in Malaysia and Singapore, Piak or Tung Saw in Thailand, and Pasak Bumi in Indonesia. The Tongkat Ali tree can grow up to about 12 meters in height. Natives consider every part of the tongkat ali tree as medicine. Tongkat Ali is used as a tonic, to treat malaria, and as an aphrodisiac. In the old days, tongkat ali roots had to be brewed for long hours to get a bitter extract. Now tongkat ali, which literally means Ali's cane, is packed in pill or "tea-bag" form and mixed with regular coffee or tea. Tongkat ali coffee and tea are now sold in Malaysia's roadside hawker stalls, supermarkets and even at restaurants in posh hotels. Tongkat ali is available in various extract potencies, and all of these versions appear to be effective.
Common names in trade (local and foreign languages)
Tongkat ali, penawar pahit, penawar bias, bedara merah, bedara putih, lempedu pahit, payong ali, tongkat baginda, muntah bumi, petala bumi (Malay), pasak bumi, bidara laut (Indonesian), babi kurus (Javanese), cay ba binh (Viet Namese), hae phan chan, plaalai phuenk, phiak (Thai), tho nan (Laos)