The idea of being hungover abroad without the comforts of home may fill you with a cold dread.
But rest assured, you’re never far away from a hangover cure.
It just might be something of an acquired taste, as we discovered when we reached out to travel experts and chefs around the world to discover what foods they turn to when they’re fur-tongued and seedy from too much of a good thing.
Their responses ran the gamut from enticing to decadent to theoretically nauseating – yet apparently effective. So which would you try?
Taiwan – Ti hoeh koe (pig’s blood cake)
Pig’s blood cake – congealed pig’s blood mixed with rice and served on a stick – is an ideal hangover cure, according to Taiwanese travel expert Nick Kembel
Travel author and founder of Taiwan Obsessed, Nick Kembel, is evangelical about Taiwanese street food’s ability to slough off a rough head.
He told MailOnline Travel: ‘A must-try is Taiwan’s pig’s blood cake, a symbolic street food sold fresh all morning. Its deep crimson colour may turn some off, but iron-rich pig’s blood works wonders, reinvigorating hungover systems in one hearty slice.’
Pig’s blood cake is made by mixing pig’s blood with steamed sticky rice, to create a chewy, semi-gelatinous texture, which is then rolled in peanut dust and spices and served on a stick. Nick said: ‘It may sound scary, but it tastes like a cure.’
Mexico – Menudo (tripe stew)
Tripe stew menudo is regarded as a powerful hangover elixir in Mexico
There’s a modicum of hype around tripe as a hangover cure in Mexico, according to Shelley Marmor, travel expert and founder of Tulum Travel Secrets.
She told MailOnline Travel: ‘The traditional tripe stew menudo is regarded as a powerful hangover elixir. Its peppery broth and soft tripe are comforting and fortifying.’
England – prairie oyster
Nigella Lawson swears by the prairie oyster (above). Picture courtesy of Creative Commons
There’s a plethora of impressive English options – the bacon sarnie, beans on toast, the full try-up. But instead we defer to Nigella Lawson, who loves a traditional prairie oyster.
The English TV cook said: ‘My hangover cure is the “prairie oyster”, which consists of an egg yolk, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, brandy, and vinegar.
‘You have to swallow it down in one gulp.’
A slightly less potent version of this hangover cure was also famously favoured by P. G Wodehouse character Jeeves – it consisted of Worcestershire sauce, raw egg and red pepper.
Australia – Vegemite on toast
Vegemite is full of salt and B vitamins – things that need replenishing as they are used up quickly when the body processes alcohol, says medical nutritionist Dr Sarah Brewer
In 2018, medical nutritionist Dr Sarah Brewer ranked the best hangover dishes in the world. Her number one? The Aussie classic, Vegemite on toast.
‘Australia’s Vegemite on toast is top of our list for best hangover cures proving that the simpler, the better,’ she said.
‘Vegemite is full of salt and B vitamins – things that need replenishing as they are used up quickly when the body processes alcohol.’
You’ll also get a good dose of calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron and selenium, which are known to help keep the skin and eyes healthy.
Smother it in cheese and you’ll replenish your protein and fats, too.
North Carolina, America – biscuits and gravy
Biscuits and white gravy are ‘quintessential Southern comfort foods that just feel right’ (stock image)
Sarah Murphy, creator of North Carolina travel blog Explore More NC, rhapsodised about their local cure, telling MailOnline Travel: ‘As any local will tell you, nothing treats a morning-after quite like a biscuit from Bojangles [a Southeastern American chain restaurant] – whether it’s their signature buttermilk biscuit or a savory filet biscuit sandwich.’
According to Sarah, biscuits and gravy – soft dough biscuits covered in white gravy, made from the drippings of cooked pork sausage – are ‘quintessential Southern comfort foods that just feel right’.
Korea – Haejang-Guk (hangover soup)
Judy Joo, founder of Korean restaurant Seoul Food, explains: ‘In Korea our hair of the dog is a little different… it’s called Haejang-Guk and it means ’soup to chase the hangover’.’
Judy Joo, founder of Korean restaurant Seoul Food, said: ‘In Korea our hair of the dog is a little different, we actually have a soup which is specifically for hangovers!
‘It’s called Haejang-Guk and it means “soup to chase the hangover”. It usually consists of dried Napa cabbage, vegetables and meat in a hearty beef broth.’
Italy – spaghetti aglio olio peperoncino
Matteo Delnevo, founder of Delnevos, told MailOnline: ‘I’m from Italy and when I feel fragile there is only one thing for it, a bowl of Spaghetti Aglio Olio Peperoncino’
The Italian panacea for the morning tremblies is pasta-tively delicious.
Matteo Delnevo, founder of Italian food company Delnevos, told MailOnline Travel: ‘I’m from Italy and when I feel fragile there is only one thing for it, a bowl of spaghetti aglio olio peperoncino. It’s a comforting and hearty dish made with al dente spaghetti, tossed in a creamy sauce infused with garlic, Parmesan cheese, and a hint of black pepper.’
Jersey – Shucked oysters and Guinness
Oysters and Guinness is a hangover winner for the Mail’s Hugo Brown
The Mail’s Assistant Travel Editor Hugo Brown cites a particularly effective dish he had in Jersey – freshly shucked oysters, eaten on the beach, washed down with a pint of Guinness.
Nauseating or curative? He insists the latter (and stresses the meal isn’t a regular occurrence).
Spain – Tortilla de Patata (Spanish omelette)
‘One classic dish that never fails is tortilla de patata, also known as a Spanish omelette,’ says one Spanish travel expert
Lucia Polla, founder of Viva La Vita, is a Spanish travel expert. She told MailOnline Travel: ‘We Spaniards sure know a thing or two about curing hangovers after a long night of fun!
‘One classic dish that never fails is tortilla de patata, also known as a Spanish omelette. This hearty potato and egg breakfast is a favourite around here for good reason. The combination of fluffy eggs, sliced potatoes, onions, and olive oil gives you just what you need to feel human again… as comforting as a hug from your grandma.’
It’s considered a delicacy in Spain to undercook the eggs – the runnier, the better. Consequently in Madrid there has been a rash of salmonella cases connected to raw egg in tortillas, so eat under advisement or the hangover may mutate.
Thailand – khao dtom (Thai rice soup)
Andy Oliver, co-founder of Thai restaurants som saa and Kolae , likes to ease post-drinking distress with ‘Thai rice soup (khao dtom) when I’m feeling a little worse for wear’
Andy Oliver, co-founder of Thai restaurants som saa and Kolae, likes to ease post-drinking distress with traditional Thai dishes.
He said: ‘I’m a big fan of Thai rice soup or khao dtom when I’m feeling a little worse for wear.
‘It’s essentially cooked rice simmered in a light stock, seasoned with soy and white pepper, and then adorned with all sorts of good things – like fried garlic, roasted chilli powder, finely sliced spring onions, ginger.’
Japan – clam miso soup, ochazuke, and umeboshi pickled plums
Clam miso soup, a popular Japanese hangove salve
Wayne Kask, creator of travel blog Always On The Shore, has travelled extensively in Japan.
Instead of anything deep-fried or cheese-stuffed, he says, there they reach for ‘gentle yet nourishing sustenance’ such as clam miso soup, ochazuke – rice topped with broth and seaweed or fish – or umeboshi pickled plums, which Wayne told MailOnline are ‘high in digestive-aiding enzymes and compounds’.
Portugal – francesinha
The francesinha is an indulgent toastie hangover cure unique to Porto – and endorsed by the late, great Anthony Bourdain
The francesinha – unique to Porto, Portugal – is the ultimate hangover toastie.
It’s made by layering bread with pork, smoked sausage, bacon, and topping it off with a medium-rare beefsteak. More bread, then melted cheese is added before it’s finally drowned in a molten, spiced tomato-and-beer sauce and served with a side of fries.
The francesinha was endorsed by the late, great Anthony Bourdain, who said: ‘Meat, cheese, fat, and bread. It’s the immortal combination.’
It begs the question whether curing a hangover is worth inducing a cardiac arrest.
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