A hangover cure is like a chat up line - everyone has their favourite and very few actually work. Some people swear by a Bloody Mary, whilst others can only cope with mountains of bacon. As with many things, however, often the old ways are still the best. Step forward the greatest hangover cure you’ve never heard of - the Mexican parajete.
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The parajete pools all perceived hangover wisdom into one big pot. Hair of the dog and coffee combine in a unilateral approach to blasting away morning cobwebs. Borrowing from both White Russians and chocolate milk, the only thing missing is a hunk of meat for all bases to be covered.The key ingredient in this rudimentary recipe is raw cow’s milk. Delivered fresh from the udder, this creamy concoction is known colloquially as “leche bronca”. Nutritionally rich and notoriously frothy, leche bronca is what helps set parajete way above all other milk-based hangover cures.
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The parajete has been explicitly designed to combat snoozy mornings. The drink is typically only available after cows have been first milked, between 6 and 10 AM. Taking its name from the Spanish “parajo”, meaning bird, parajete drinkers truly embody the phrase “the early bird catches the worm.”The perfect parajete sees leche bronca paired with a cast of able supporting players. First added to the raw milk is the chocomil - chocolate powder that is considered a breakfast staple by many Mexicans. Cane alcohol, sugar and coffee grounds complete a sweet morning treat that packs a punch. Hangover: cured.
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Though the recipe may sound simple, parajete’s cannot be prepared by anyone. The key, according to experts, is the leche bronca. Without it, the drink is distinctly average. Parajete disciple Pau Cervantes sums it up best, stating that, “The more foam it gets, the tastier it is. The only way to get that consistency is through recently milked milk.” Would-be converts would do well to heed his advice. In the state of Jalisco, where the drink originates, parajete is much more than a mere hangover fix. Locals swear by its restorative powers and claim that can cure migraines and anemia. So protein-packed is it that farm workers are often able to work an entire day after just one glass. Clearly, this miracle drink is something we could all do with.
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It’s not just the contents that make parajete such an effective remedy for heavy nights. In Mexico, it’s all about the experience. Parajete is a communal drink, designed to be shared as a group in an early morning fog of bleary-eyed sleepiness. Aside from the impracticality of keeping your own cow, it’s this convivial spirit that makes personal parajete preparation a far cry from the real thing.It might be a while before we’re all able to see for ourselves whether parajetes are as miraculous as they appear. Not commercially available thanks to the dangers associated with drinking raw milk, anyone outside Mexico will have to make do with the own disputable remedies. At least those waking up with a throbbing head in Jalisco are safe in the knowledge that, once they find a cow, their problems will be over.
With the festive season just behind us now, I'm sure some of us are feeling like we've already had enough hangovers to last us the entirety of 2019. Let's be real, though: give it just a little bit of time and you'll be celebrating something else with no regard for how you're going to feel the next morning.
Thankfully, there are a number of ways you can avoid the dreaded morning after wooziness - and saying goodbye to alcohol is only one of them.
Speaking to BBC Three, junior doctor Emeka Okorocha shared some trusted hangover treatments and remedies he swears by.
"Using my medical background, I was able to figure out which remedies were likely to be the most effective," he said. "After I had picked the best ones, I tested them when I was feeling rough."
Some of them sound a little dubious, for sure, but they're all certainly better than doing nothing and risking an entire day of feeling like you've suddenly come down with the worst flu ever.
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You may have heard that 'hair of the dog' is the best way to get rid of a foggy hangover brain, but Dr. Okorocha says this is actually one of the worst things you can do. If you feel like you need something strong to kickstart your body back into action, however, a Virgin Mary is likely to help you out.
To make it, you'll need 1/2 glass of tomato juice, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 dash of Worcestershire sauce, 1 dash of hot pepper sauce, and a celery stick.
"Tomatoes contain fructose, which is a sugar that can help the alcohol in your body metabolise faster," the doctor explained. "It also contains vitamins and minerals, which help fight inflammation and rehydrate your body and brain."
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If you're not feeling quite that daring, however, a cup of ginger tea might sort you out.
For this, you'll need 12 large ginger slices, 4 cups of boiling water, a dash of lemon, 1/2 cup of honey, and fresh orange juice. Mix it all together et voila - you should start to feel the benefits. "Ginger is great at soothing the stomach. It also speeds up alcohol digestion and it can even help your throbbing head."
And to go with it, you might want to try a mashed banana and honey sandwich. "Bananas are a high source of potassium - an electrolyte that gets depleted when you go out on the binge," says Dr.Okorocha. "The honey will give you that spike of sugar in your bloodstream and that energy rush to help you get back on your feet."
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Perhaps the best cure, however, is to think ahead the night before and make sure you drink plenty of water. The doctor's solution for ensuring that you get all the h20 you need before falling asleep is to balance a glass of water on a chair on your bed before you go out. That way, you'll have to remove the water (and hopefully remember to guzzle it down) before climbing in for a snooze.
Or, you know, you could just remember to stay hydrated without risking soaking your bedsheets!
Hopefully, these remedies will sort you out next time you have a messy night; but it should be said that always drinking in moderation is the only trusted route to avoiding long- or short-term health problems, and that watching your alcohol intake is a good habit to have.
We've all been there, folks. It's a Friday night, and you've had a very long week, so you kick back at your local bar with a beer. The weekend's here - let's drink to that! Fast forward to four hours later, and everything's gone to hell in a handbasket.
You're stumbling around a random street, your vision's blurry, you've somehow lost a shoe; you know that come Saturday morning, you're going to have a monster hangover to contend with, and you're not looking forward to that one bit. There is, my friends a tiny beacon of hope for tomorrow, if you just know where to look.
Hangovers may be one of life's greatest agonies, but hangover food is one of its great pleasures; greasy, salty, and best of all, you don't have to look dignified horking it down. But as you stumble bleary-eyed towards the safe haven of the Golden Arches on any given Saturday afternoon, you're inadvertently missing out on the greatest hangover food of all.
McDonald's does great hangover food. That's a given. But their ultimate hangover cure is only available in the early hours of the morning, in the Breakfast Menu. So, should you manage to leave the house before 10:30 am on a hangover (or, more likely, if your bender ends up stretching into the wee hours), check out this menu item.
No, not the Egg McMuffin, not the Breakfast Wrap; both great options, yes, but not quite up to the task when it comes to silencing the yawning existential void that comes part and parcel with having too many to drink the night before. I'm talking, my fast food lovers, about the Triple Breakfast Stacks.
Needless to say, you'll be Lovin' It. 2013 was the last time we had a proper addition to the McDonald's Breakfast Menu, when early birds flocked to try out the Egg White Delight McMuffin five years ago. It was delicious, that's not in doubt. But it was... I don't know, a little too healthy.
No such worries here.
We all know the basics of any decent breakfast sandwich - you've got the egg, you've got the cheese, you've got sausage as well, but most importantly, you can't ignore the role of bacon in an otherworldly breakfast sandwich. The Triple Stacks take all your favourite breakfast fillings, and throw them all together, in a smorgasbord of glorious breakfast junk.
You can have all that between some biscuits or English muffins, sure, but why not get it sandwiched with hotcakes? Well, now you can. Doubling down on the meat, you get two sausage patties, eggs (folded or round - it's all up to you) and cheese, plus enough bacon strips to shoo away your hangover once and for all.
Well, then, folks, there you have it. What are you waiting for? Well... probably time for it to be McDonald's Breakfast time again. Oh, and November 1 - that's when the Triple Stacks officially hit restaurants. But should you be hungover in the early hours of the morning any time soon, you won't regret peeling yourself out of bed.
Or, like, try and get it delivered if you can. That could also work.
There are few things that can make a hangover even more depressing. The churning stomach, throbbing head, distress, dejection and dismay that come with a particularly heavy night are generally only remedied by copious amounts of grease - preferably administered via bacon. But, as we know, bacon and grease are not universal phenomena, nor indeed an inoculation against every affliction. Sometimes, either by design or by disaster, you may find yourself waking up somewhere that has developed an alternative approach to hangover treatment. These are the nations we think have the dishes that do it best.
Canada
Poutine
Crispy French fries, drowned in gravy and cheese curds, topped with all manner of meat and veggies. A good poutine ticks every hangover box. While the classic poutine’s beauty is in its simplicity, poutineries the world over are branching out into all sorts of weird and wonderful variants, with pulled pork, sweet potatoes and even peanut butter being thrown into the mix. Roll up and tuck in.
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Japan
Oden
Japanese dishes are famed more for their grace than their grease. However, for a hangover cure that will fill you up with all manner of goodness, give you a big hug and tell you all is well, you can’t beat an oden. This classic Japanese comfort food consists of vegetables, fishcakes and tofu, served in a dashi broth. Perfect restorative fare for those feeling extra fragile.
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Poland
Pierogi
Sometimes, a mountain of food is the last thing that your hangover needs. In these situations, it’s best to adopt a little and often approach. Enter the pierogi. These delicious dumplings are considered to be the national dish of Poland, and typically come filled with a mixture of cheese, potatoes, onions and pork. Grab a bucketful and browse your way to hangover salvation.
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South Africa
Bunny Chow
The name may be perturbing for rabbit lovers the world over, but bunny chow is a definite contender for the title of greatest sandwich ever. One of South Africa’s most treasured street foods, "bunnies" consist of a hollowed out white bread loaf stuffed with meatballs, curry or beans. If it sounds messy and difficult to manage, it is. Much like a hangover. But it’s also undeniably delicious.
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Mexico
Carnitas
For all the good fiddly dumplings and healthful soups can do, sometimes the only thing that will really hit the spot is a massive pile of meat. Many nations have perfected the dark art of carnal cookery, but for the express purpose of blasting away the hangover blues, carnitas really are the one. Slow cooked pulled pork, meshed with spices, coriander and guac is a surefire way to improve any situation, no matter how miserable you may have been feeling beforehand. Wrap in a tortilla, or attack sans cutlery - either will work.
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Alcohol-fuelled madness can lead you down all sorts of curious cul de sacs. If you’re going to make an ill-advised drunken trip anywhere, try and end up somewhere on this list. At least that way, when you wake up you'll have something delicious to munch as you plot your route home.
Remember the simple childhood joy of an ice pop on a hot summer day? Now, what if I told you that could cure the worst Sunday morning hangover you've ever had?
Pedialyte is selling freezer pops that pack a punch to cure your dehydration. With flavors like grape, blue raspberry, cherry, and orange, these treats are for both kids (as long as they're older than one) and adults who miss this childhood snack... and want to wake up without feeling like death.
Pedialyte restores fluid and minerals in the body when water just isn't enough to cure mild or moderate dehydration. According to their website:
"Pedialyte has the electrolytes sodium, potassium, and chloride to help you feel better fast and replenish the electrolytes you lose when dehydration occurs."
Electrolytes are minerals that work in your body to balance its fluids and pH levels. Nixing dehydration means relieving symptoms like headaches, dizziness, tiredness, and general crankiness. Pedialyte's website also reads:
"Pedialyte Freezer Pops can help prevent dehydration caused by vomiting, diarrhea, exercise, travel, and heat exhaustion."
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Your sick kids will love this treat that makes them feel better too - and so will you, when you wake up after a long night out. Because although these pops help with dehydration from the stomach flu and exercise, many people claim they can also help with the after-effects of alcohol.
They come in 16 pops per pack at $4.99 per box. You can buy them on Amazon or at stores that carry Pedialyte products. The serving size is two pops, so don't feel like you have to hold back; Pedialyte's website says you can have up to 32 freezer pops per day (although that would be one hell of a hangover!)
These packs come as a liquid, so do be sure to freeze them right away so you can have them ready-to-go when needed, whether that's a night after heavy drinking or an afternoon in the sun.
Unless you've never had a drink or somehow have an amazing constitution for alcohol, the chances are that you have experienced a hangover at some point in your life - and you'll know that they aren't fun. Between the deafening headache, the relentless nausea, and the overall sense of sheer dread, it's difficult to say what the worst part the 'morning after' is, exactly.
One thing's for sure, though: when you're hanging, you'd do pretty much anything to get out of it.
There are a few preventatives and cures that sort of work, albeit with varying success. Drinking lots of water before going to sleep helps some people alleviate the worst symptoms, as does loading up on carbs before hitting the booze. But now there's a slightly more enjoyable way of treating the hangover blues, and it comes in the form of an ice cream bar.
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Ice cream manufacturers in South Korea have come up with a treat called the 'Gyeondyo-bar', which roughly translates as "hang in there". Priced at just $1, the Gyeondyo-bar claims to be the first iced treat in the world with the capabilities of alleviating the effects of a hangover.
The "science" (and we use that term loosely) behind it is founded in the juice of the raisin tree fruit. The juice of these fruits has been used in Korea since the 1600s, and is reportedly quite effective when it comes to shaking off the post-booze blues.
It also has a tart, grapefruit-flavoured outer shell, making it a pleasant-tasting treat even for those who don't need to cure their hangovers.
"Mixing such ingredients with cold ice cream could be an effective way to lower body temperature for people whose body temperature has risen from drinking," said Dr. Lee Byeong Sam at KyungHee Korean Medical Clinic in Seoul. "But it is not recommended for people with naturally low body temperatures."
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The hangover cure market is currently booming in South Korea, as their drinking culture differs greatly from the sort of attitude we hold in the likes of the UK and USA. Rather than only hitting the bottle as part of a celebration or on the weekend, many South Koreans will drink heavily on weeknights as part of standard work culture - so their need for a reliable remedy slightly more pressing than it is in the west.
However, if the Gyeondyo-bar ever does make it out of South Korea and onto supermarket shelves elsewhere in the world, we're sure it would be greatly appreciated. Preferably by the weekend, if possible.
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