– An Easy Spread –

Across the world, people have long searched for a hangover cure.  Many countries have a favorite dish or concoction, but which ones really work?  I myself have woken up on several occasions hoping to get rid of my burning nausea, throbbing headache, and sore muscles.  If you’ve found yourself in a similar situation, you might be interested to know that hangover cures are not the same across the world. If you’ve been drinking in a trendy bar in New York or in one of the Britannia Hotels in the UK, you will find that each area offers completely different hangover cures. In fact, cures vary according local diet, available food sources, and cultural myths.  In this article I will investigate these international specialties to find out which succeed, and which ones will send you running for the toilet.

In the U.S., if you ask a bartender what to eat for a hangover, he’d likely respond with a “prairie oyster.”  And yes, this mixture is as bad as it sounds.  This strange drink is made by combining tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, and a raw egg yolk.  Some bartenders might even recommend adding a splash of vodka to the mix.  Normally, I would head straight to the kitchen to try this recipe out, because I’d do just about anything for a hangover cure.  But in this case, I’ll have to pass and advise my readers to do the same for one specific reason – salmonella. Everyone knows that raw eggs are bad, bad, bad news.  Trust me, after a night of drinking, the last thing you want to do is compound your misery with food poisoning.  However, this cocktail does contain other ingredients that are worth mentioning.

Tomatoes are used in several hangover recipes, which makes me think there that they’re worth trying.  These yummy fruits (or vegetables depending on who you ask) are high in vitamins C and A, beta-carotene, and the antioxidant lycopene.  These nutrients can help your body cope with last night’s beer fest.  Pepper, another ingredient from the oyster prairie recipe, can also be helpful, because it aids the digestive process.

Instead of trying the prairie oyster, I opted for a bowl of warm, tomato soup, topped with cracked black pepper and fresh basil.  This did the trick.  It was comforting enough to stop my head from throbbing and help me fall back asleep.  Once I woke up from my afternoon nap, I felt a lot better.  But if you’re not a fan of tomato soup, the alternative could be to drink a Bloody Mary or a glass of V8.

Italy is another country that relies on a beverage to cure hangovers. The Italians drink strong coffee the morning after to ease their self-induced pain.  Italians usually opt for strong espresso.  I’ve tried this one several times and here is my take: anything high in caffeine will make you feel better for a little while, but the effects won’t last.  Initially, the caffeine might perk you up.  But coffee, and other caffeinated products, can cause dehydration.  After a night of drinking, your body is already dehydrated, so adding caffeine to the mix is only going to make things worse.  Also, if you’ve a got a sour stomach, the bitterness of coffee might send you running to the bathroom.  If you want to try this cure, I’d recommend a latte – half cream, half coffee.  The cream will take away some of the bitterness and you’ll also be consuming less caffeine. Even though coffee might not work for everyone, it’s a staple of the Italian diet – a comfort food.

In my experience, comfort foods work by making people feel better mentally, and the body tends to follow.  So find your own comfort food and try that.  Mine, for example, is Vietnamese pho.  The smell of the blanched mint and jalapeño in the boiling broth is enough to get my appetite going.  It really comes down to each individual’s body and what it wants and needs.

Two of the strangest cures that I’ve found come from Poland.  There some people believe that soured milk can cure a hangover.  The Polish sit unpasteurized milk out at room temperature for a day or two, and when the time comes, they drink it.  I could not bring myself to try this one, because the thought of chunky, bitter milk, made me want to yak before I could even get my lips around the glass.  My other problem with this cure is the prep time.  I usually don’t intend to go out and get absolutely obliterated.  But friends call, one cocktail leads to another, and before you know it, I’m on the phone, slurring out the bar’s address to a taxi driver.  I don’t normally have the foresight to plan my hangover remedies days ahead.  That being said, there is another strange Polish cure that may actually work.

Some Polish also drink pickle juice to help their hangovers.  Pickle juice contains salt, calcium chloride, and vinegar.  Some athletes drink it instead of power drinks to replenish their electrolytes and prevent muscle cramping.  Pickle juice has also been used as a home remedy to settle stomachaches and heartburn.  I’ve tried this cure several times and it really does work.  However, I will mention that I am a pickle lover, and actually enjoy the taste of pickle juice.  For those of you who don’t like pickles, forego this treatment.  The flavor of pickle juice is very pungent, and if your taste buds can’t handle it, your stomach probably won’t be able to either.  If you do decide to try this cure, I’d recommend Claussen or Vlassic.  Only drink about an ounce, because too much might counteract the effectiveness.

The Netherlands is another country with an infamous hangover cure – beer.  Surprisingly enough, there may be some scientific evidence to support this cure.  Although more alcohol is probably the last thing you want after a night of binge drinking, a small amount might speed up your recovery. Joan Acocella discusses the research on alcohol as a hangover cure in her article “A Few Too Many” from The New Yorker.

One of my favorite cures comes from China.  They use strong green tea or water with lemon to counteract a hangover.  Although this is a simple cure, it seems effective.  Green tea is packed with antioxidants, which help your body repair itself.  I’d recommend a chamomile green tea.  Chamomile is said to reduce inflammation and promote relaxation.  This, combined with the green tea’s antioxidants, makes a successful pair.  As for the water with lemon – it hydrates, refreshes, and gives you a boost of vitamin C.  What I particularly like about these two cures is that they’re easy on the stomach.

Now that I’ve told you about some of the world’s most notorious hangover cures, let’s talk about the future of hangover cures.  There has been scientific research that found that cysteine, found in eggs, meat, milk, garlic, and onions, can neutralize the effects of alcohol in rats.  However, the study hasn’t been done on humans, so there is still speculation about cysteine effectiveness Who knows, maybe one day all the drinkers of the world will be able to wake up, pop a pill, and feel like brand new.  Until that day comes, it’s everyman for himself in the world of hangover foods.

Alyssa is an MFA student at GMU in Virginia. She is a fan of bar cuisine and live music.