Strange Hangover Cures From Around the World

By Alex in Food & Drink, Health on Dec 18, 2008 at 1:35 pm

Photos: Rebecca Hale, NG Staff, Cathy Smith

National Geographic has an interesting article about some of the strangest hangover cures from around the world. Perhaps they mean "cure" in a way that you’ll never touch alcohol again if you’re forced to take these the morning after:

Germany: Pickled Herring
Pickled or marinated herring is the main ingredient in a sour snack Germans call Rollmops. Considered an excellent way to ward off a bad hangover, they’re made by wrapping fillets of the tiny white fish around bits of onion and gherkin. Rollmops can be a welcome part of what Germans call katerfrühstück, or the hangover breakfast.

Romania: Tripe Soup
Tripe – aka cow stomach – is the go-to ingredient for many Romanians suffering from a hangover. It’s also a common "cure" in Mexico and Turkey, and no doubt many other countries as well. But in Romania, the edible offal is boiled in a greasy, salty soup of root vegetables, garlic vinegar, and cream.

Poland: Sour pickle juice
Polish hangover remedies are all about the sour. Some say that soured milk (which is unpasteurized and has been left at room temperature for a day or tow) does the trick. Others favor sour – very sour – pickle juice, heavy on the vinegar.

Catherine L. Barker has the story: Link to interactive Flash page – Thanks Marilyn!

Tags: alcohol, Drink, hangover cure, herring, pickle juice, tripe

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Evilbeagle
Dec 18th, 2008 at 2:05 pm
These are always fun to read. Truth is, though, there is no real cure for a hangover. You just do things that make you feel a bit better and hydrate.

I always feel better after a huge, sodium laden breakfast that must include bacon or sausage, lots of coffee, and a bottle of Lucozade. It doesn’t take away the general feeling, but it settles my tum and makes me functional.
Rocky Rook
Dec 18th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
I’d go with the pickle remedy IF I ever were to be hung over.
Chandrielle
Dec 18th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
Bacon McGriddle, hash browns, and small Coke from McDonalds. The only time I ever eat there. I have recovered from the most vicious of hangovers within about an hour. The only difficulty is choking down that disgusting sandiwch in the first place.
JM
Dec 18th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
I’d stick to the Chinese remedy. STRONG green tea. Or STRONG Pu-Erh!
Clotho
Dec 18th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
while there’s no real “cure” for a hangover, pickle juice has been shown in scientific studies to reduce the affects of a hangover. Drinking it will help to rehydrate you, and pickle juice is also very high in electrolytes, which your body needs to replenish after a night of hard drinking
dan.rosol
Dec 18th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
me=polish=never heard of this pickle juice cure
Stane
Dec 18th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
This pickle juice thingie is a cure also in my homecountry Serbia. And that Romanian cure is popular in Bulgaria also.
Jake D.
Dec 18th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
Everyone knows the cure for a hangover is another beer.
razzjunk
Dec 18th, 2008 at 5:57 pm
me=romanian=the traditional hangover cure is not tripe soup (which is just as nasty as it sounds) but a soup made out of poultry parts, called “ciorba de potroace”. it’s a “cure” because they add sauerkraut juice to make it sour, which apparently helps. this is especially popular on new year’s day. so get your soups right.
antygon
Dec 18th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
me=polish=I have used pickle juice once or twice and yes it works very well, but usually pickles are good enough. As Clotho said it’s all about rehydrating and the supply of electrolytes… But caution, traditional polish pickles are not based on vinegar!
Christophe
Dec 18th, 2008 at 7:22 pm
salted coffee anyone?

You can still buy Chaser at your local Walgreen’s…
Brammi
Dec 19th, 2008 at 12:50 am
Hold on a minute– where are they getting their info on USA hangover cures???

I’ve NEVER heard of raw egg being involved in curing a hangover… much less as part of a morning-after Bloody Mary. I always thought we were the land of Ibuprofen and Orange Juice.
charliefrown
Dec 19th, 2008 at 7:50 am
antygon is right, polish pickles’ juice is made of water, salt, garlic, dill and horse radish root, but not vinegar!
Vlad
Dec 19th, 2008 at 11:22 am
I use Hungry Jacks burger and chips as a hangover cure, worked really well but i couldn’t drink the coke so I used soda. Yum, tripe soupe, I haven’t had that in a while, but it’s really good. It also has a hard to describe taste. I just didn’t know it as a hangover cure.
herbstwerk
Dec 19th, 2008 at 8:22 pm
as a kraut i can say that the rollmops is used more in the north of germany… and i have really no idea what’s common in the south to be honest.

i have bad hangovers… most the time a shot of vodka and a glass of cold orange juice (or a screwdriver, but that’s harder to get down imho) and something really spicy to eat get me down enough to at least work if i have to.
liphttam1
Dec 20th, 2008 at 10:22 am
Pickle juice, I could get into that!
sky
Dec 22nd, 2008 at 6:44 pm
the key to drinkin ur ass off (my fav passtime that as a matter o’ fact, i’m bout 2 do) is preparation: eat really salty foods including cod or salt fish n drink a capful size of olive or cod liver oil

then drink away!!!!!
if u feel like sh*t the nx day, plenty of green tea and fresh-squeezed lime juice, works within an hour 4 me, and trust that i drink; i’m known to mix corn liquor/moonshine w/goose…hell yeah…then as erry1 is sayin, replace those electrolytes, powerade is good

got this remedy from my ma who is german, italian, n indian, my pa who is afro caribbean jus say, handle it like a man…u like drinkin!!! ha, ha!

oh, n i’ve heard of the cow stomach, pickles, n pickled herring…they all work 4 some friends of mine

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