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This article was first published 10 years ago

Weird hangover cures from across the globe

Last updated on: January 01, 2014 17:49 IST


Photographs: Christian Cable/Creative Commons Aditi Bose

Got a hangover? Are your traditional tried and tested cures not working? Or are you in the mood for some exotic and unusual cures from across the globe? Read on.

Bacon

If you are not feeling too nauseatic then you can try a bacon sandwich. English men swear by this cure. A study, in fact, has found that the bacon and the bread provide amino acids which helps in the cure of the hangover.

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Weird hangover cures from across the globe


Photographs: Miansari66/Wikimedia Commons Aditi Bose

Pickles

Those in Germany believe that if they have a pickled herring wrapped with cucumbers and onions for breakfast then they would be cured of their hangovers. Polish people also consume pickles. Else they drink some brine.

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Weird hangover cures from across the globe


Aditi Bose

Plums

Japanese people eat plums that have been dried. These are sour and are called umeboshi. However, not many can handle the sour taste of it. Those who cannot, steep it in green tea for a while before consumption.

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Weird hangover cures from across the globe


Photographs: Thomas Quine/Wikimedia Commons

Sheep eyeball

I am sure none of us would even think of trying this to cure a hangover. But there really are people in the world who consume it. It is pickled sheep eyeballs. This is eaten with tomato juice in Mongolia.

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Weird hangover cures from across the globe


Photographs: alanagkelly/Wikimedia Commons

Greasy food

Canadians have French fries smothered in cheese curd and gravy made of pepper corns for breakfast the morning after. It’s said to cure their hangovers. At least the food sounds yummy! I won’t mind eating it even if I don’t have a hangover. 

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Weird hangover cures from across the globe


Photographs: Paul Lowry/Creative Commons

Bull penis

Yes. That’s right. The Sicilians eat dried bull penis to cure their hangovers. The sheer disgust of eating this would get me out of any hangover for sure.

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Weird hangover cures from across the globe


Photographs: PD-PDPHOTO.ORG/Wikimedia Commons

Prickly pear

A recent research result has shown that extracts from this hardy plant can lessen a person’s hangover. In fact, if taken before drinking, it prevents symptoms like dry mouth and nausea.

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Weird hangover cures from across the globe


Photographs: Wikimedia Commons

Cinchona

It comes from a bitter bark and it finds various medicinal uses. When consumed as tonic water, people have said that their hangovers have substantially reduced. 

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Weird hangover cures from across the globe


Photographs: Eugene Zelenko/Wikimedia Commons

Gingko biloba seeds

These are mainly consumed by the Japanese. Researchers have found that the enzymes within these seeds helps the body to process the alcohol more effectively.

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Weird hangover cures from across the globe


Photographs: Peggy Greb/Wikimedia Commons

Kudzu plant

The Chinese consume the roots and flowers of the kudzu plant. These are also available in capsules. It causes symptoms of a hangover to begin far more quickly when you are drinking. This will make you drink less in reality. Thereby causing a lesser headache the next morning.

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Weird hangover cures from across the globe


Wasabi bath

Add a spoonful of wasabi, or the Japanese horseradish, in your bath (or use some wasabi bath salts). It is said to act as an effective cure.

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Weird hangover cures from across the globe


Burial

The Irish believe that burying a person with hangover, neck deep, in moist river sand, will cure him. I don’t know how much of truth there is in it, but if you are really in the mood to be a little wild, then go on and indulge yourself.

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Weird hangover cures from across the globe


Photographs: Jonathunder/Wikimedia Commons

Rhino horns

Yes the Vietnamese eat this as a hangover cure. In fact they grind the dried rhino horn and drink it with water. I am sure I will never try it. I love these animals way too much to hurt them. I’d rather be intelligent and drink less.

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Weird hangover cures from across the globe


Photographs: jefras a.k.a Joăo Estęvăo A. de Freitas/Wikimedia Commons

Raw egg

Mix Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper to a raw egg and gulp the entire mixture down to cure your hangover. Finish it off with a shot of vodka. At least that’s what the Americans do.

Weird hangover cures from across the globe


Photographs: Wikimedia Commons

Lick your sweat

Even if I am not nauseatic the morning after, the thought of licking my seat after a bout of drinking would surely make me puke. But then many from the USA do do it. Try it if you wish.

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Weird hangover cures from across the globe


Photographs: Juan Emilio/Wikimedia Commons

Canary

In ancient Rome, the emperors are said to have eaten a roasted canary bird to cure their drinking hangovers. Whether the bird was skinned, chopped, friend or roasted is not known. All that is know is that its bones acted as an effective cure for the headaches.

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Weird hangover cures from across the globe


Photographs: H. Zell/Wikimedia Commons

Buffalo milk

The morning after a drinking binge, Namibians drink a buffalo milk potion. This contains, other than the animal’s milk, cream, dark rum and cream liqueur. 

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Weird hangover cures from across the globe


Photographs: Debra Roby/Wikimedia Commons

Rub a lemon

Those from Puerto Rico are said to rub the slice of lemon in their arm pits before drinking. It is said that it helps them from not getting drunk. Why they do it and if at all it does help or not, I don’t know. I don’t find any logic in it though.

Weird hangover cures from across the globe


Photographs: yomi yomi/Wikimedia Commons

Shrimps

A zesty shrimp salad for breakfast is what the Mexicans swear by. I don’t mind eating this. Even if I have not been drinking. 

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Weird hangover cures from across the globe


Voodoo

Are your friends still around? And are all of you still a little high? Try out this voodoo trick that the Haitians do to cure themselves. They stick black needles into the cork of the bottles from which they had drank the night before. Pretty amusing!

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Weird hangover cures from across the globe


Photographs: Trebol-a/Wikimedia Commons

Owl eggs

I have no clue where you would manage this, but the ancient Greeks had two owl eggs to cure their hangovers. I would say, normal chicken eggs would do. But then it’s your choice. And before I forget, they had these owl eggs with roasted sheep lungs.

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Weird hangover cures from across the globe


Photographs: Zachi Evenor/Wikimedia Commons

Snail’s head

Back to the Romans. Some say that crushing a snail’s head and rubbing it on the forehead cures a hangover headache. Why can’t they just rub some aloe vera gel instead?

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Weird hangover cures from across the globe


Photographs: Kobako/Wikimedia Commons

Fermented rye bread

A drink made by soaking dried rye bread with sugar and yeast until it ferments is said to cure a hangover. At least the Russians believe so. 

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Weird hangover cures from across the globe


Photographs: Julius Schorzman / Wikimedia Commons

Coffee

Nopes I am not talking of the beverage. Rather take a spoonful of coffee. Add to that a little sugar and the squeeze of a lime. And then eat that. I am sure the bitterness of it would cure any hangover. As for whether any other medical reasons exist or not, I have my doubts.

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Weird hangover cures from across the globe


Photographs: Firespeaker/Wikimedia Commons

Mare’s milk

The fermented mare’s milk, or Kummis, is drunk by Mongolians to cure their hangovers.

All said, here’s my take.

I would drink in moderation so that I don’t get drunk. And if I do, I will surely not try most of these cures. For me it would be a hot bath, a little honey on toasted bread and some morning stroll in fresh air.

As for the rest of you, decide what you want to do. It’s ciao from me! Here’s wishing you all a wonderful New Year and hoping that 2014 is a great one for all. 

Tags: Kummis