The remedies of yesteryear against the hangover

Since time immemorial, and in all cultures, alcohol has been widely consumed, resulting in an incalculable number of "hangovers," as well as various myths and local beliefs about the best remedies to avoid or treat them.

During ancient Greece, amethyst, a stone originating from the Greek "amethystos" meaning preservation of drunkenness, played a role. Greeks would either put an amethyst in their glass or wear it as a necklace when drinking to escape the hangover.

In ancient Egypt, laurel leaves were traditionally offered to athletes, philosophers, etc., as a remedy. Egyptians wore laurel necklaces to avoid being sick the next day.

In the 17th century, an English doctor developed an anti-hangover recipe: Goddard's drops (or cephalic drops of England). They aimed to treat various ailments, including a hangover, and consisted of ammonia, dried viper, and powder extracted from a skull.

With each country having its own solutions, here's a small worldwide tour of current anti-hangover remedies.

In many countries, vegetable or pickle juices are renowned for their effects against the hangover.

For example, there's sauerkraut juice in Russia, the juice in which pickles or beet juice are soaked in Poland, leche de tigre in Peru (the marinade juice of dried fish), or turnip juice in Turkey.

Also, some countries have developed their own recipes.

For instance, there's Katerfrühstück in Germany, consisting of marinated herring wrapped in pickles and onions.

There's also menudo in Mexico (soup served with hot pepper and tortillas), or leventa de muertos (a pork stew) in Bolivia...

For the more adventurous, in Hungary, the recommendation involves a mixture of brandy and sparrow droppings.

Finally, there are also more unusual techniques. Like rubbing a lemon under the armpit in Puerto Rico, sleeping with vodka-soaked socks in Estonia, putting tape on the forehead in Vietnam, or burying oneself in sand in Ireland.

In France, there's HANG-OVER, a dietary supplement that aids in alcohol metabolism and reduces the side effects of alcohol consumption!