5 Strangest Hangover Remedies from Around the World
If you’ve ever woken up feeling like your head got run over by a truck after a long night, you know what a hangover feels like. But did you know that people all over the world have different ways to try to get rid of that awful headache and upset stomach? Some of these remedies are pretty weird. Here are the five strangest hangover remedies from around the world.
1. Mongolia’s Strange Hangover Cure: A Pickled Sheep’s Eye
In Mongolia, some people think that the best way to beat a hangover is to drink a glass with a pickled sheep’s eyeball in tomato juice. Yes, you heard that right. This drink called a “Mongolian Mary,” is kind of like a Bloody Mary, but instead of just tomato juice, there’s a sheep’s eye floating in it. People think that the salty drink helps replace lost electrolytes and that the sheep’s eye gives a shock to wake you up. Would it work? Maybe—but it’s definitely not for everyone!
2. Prairie Oyster: The United States’ Unusual Hangover Remedy
Photo by Wikipedia
In the United States, there’s another strange hangover remedy called the Prairie Oyster. It’s not actually seafood—instead, it’s a drink made with raw egg yolk, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, salt, and pepper. The idea is that this mixture coats your stomach and gives you some protein to help you feel better. People say it helps replace nutrients and calm your stomach, but drinking a raw egg might not be the best way to start the day for most people.
3. Germany’s Rollmops: Pickled Fish Wrapped Around Pickles
In Germany, they have a saying that the “hair of the dog” helps cure a hangover—but they don’t just mean drinking more alcohol. Germans sometimes eat something called “Rollmops,” which is a pickled herring wrapped around a pickle or an onion. This salty snack is supposed to help restore sodium and settle your stomach. It has a very strong flavor, and not everyone likes it, but Germans have used it for generations. The saltiness might help your body hydrate and get your digestion back on track.
4. Sicily’s Hangover Cure: Dried Bull Penis
In Sicily, Italy, they have another unusual hangover remedy. It’s called “Cazzomarro,” and it’s actually a dried bull penis. Yes, it’s just as strange as it sounds. People used to eat it as a way to feel stronger after drinking too much. It’s thought to help because it’s high in protein. This remedy might sound really weird to most people today, but it was a traditional way to recover after a long night out.
5. Japan’s Miso Soup
Japan’s hangover remedy might be the easiest one to try. People in Japan often drink miso soup after a big night out. This soup is made from fermented soybean paste, seaweed, and tofu, and it’s salty and comforting. The salty broth helps you get hydrated, and the nutrients from the miso help your body recover. The warm soup also helps calm your stomach. It’s not as strange as the other remedies, but it’s definitely unique to Japanese culture.
Hangovers are something people everywhere deal with, but the ways we try to cure them are very different. From pickled sheep eyes to miso soup, people around the world have come up with some pretty wild—and sometimes gross—ways to feel better after a night of partying. There’s no perfect cure for a hangover, but these remedies show that people are willing to try almost anything to get some relief.
Which of these strange hangover remedies would you be brave enough to try? Or would you rather stick to simple things like rest, water, and a good meal? No matter what, hangovers are something people have been trying to fix for a long time, and that has led to some very interesting traditions.
