The thought of being hungover abroad without the comforts of home can fill you with a chill.
But rest assured, you are never far from a hangover cure.
It could just be an acquired taste, as we discovered when we reached out to travel experts and chefs around the world to find out what foods they turn to when they’re hairy-tongued and disheveled from too much of a good thing.
Their responses ran the gamut, from tantalizing to decadent to theoretically nauseating, but apparently effective. So which one would you try?
Taiwan – Ti hoeh koe (pig’s blood cake)
Pig blood cake, frozen pig 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 obsessedNick Kembel, is evangelical about Taiwanese street food’s ability to take the edge off.
He told MailOnline Travel: ‘Taiwanese pig blood cake is a must-try, a symbolic street food sold fresh all morning. Its deep crimson color may put some off, but the iron-rich pig’s blood works wonders, revitalizing hungover systems in just one slice.
Pork blood cake is made by mixing pork blood with steamed sticky rice, to create a chewy, semi-gelatinous texture, which is then rolled in peanut powder and spices and served on a stick. Nick said: “It may look scary, but it tastes like a cure.”
Mexico – Menudo (tripe stew)
The small tripe stew is considered a powerful elixir for hangovers in Mexico
There is minimal enthusiasm surrounding tripe as a hangover cure in Mexico, according to Shelley Marmor, travel expert and founder of Travel Secrets to Tulum.
She told MailOnline Travel: ‘The traditional tripe stew is considered a powerful hangover elixir. Its spicy broth and soft tripe are comforting and fortifying.
England – Prairie Oyster
Nigella Lawson swears by the prairie oyster (above). Image courtesy of Creative commons
There are plenty of impressive English options: the bacon sarnie, bean toast and the full test. But instead, we defer to Nigella Lawson, who loves traditional prairie oysters.
The English television chef said: “My hangover cure is the ‘meadow oyster,’ which consists of egg yolk, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, brandy and vinegar.
“You have to swallow it in one gulp.”
P. G Wodehouse’s character Jeeves also preferred a slightly less potent version of this hangover cure: 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 quickly depleted 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. Your number one? The Australian classic, Vegemite on toast.
“Australian Vegemite toast tops our list of best hangover cures, proving that simpler is better,” he said.
“Vegemite is full of salt and B vitamins, elements that need to be replenished as they are quickly depleted when the body processes alcohol.”
You’ll also get a good dose of calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, and selenium, known to help maintain healthy skin and eyes.
Stir-fry it with cheese and you’ll also replenish your proteins and fats.
North Carolina, America – Biscuits and Gravy
Biscuits and white gravy are “quintessential Southern comfort foods that just feel good” (file image)
Sarah Murphy, creator of North Carolina travel blog Explore more North CarolinaEnthusiastic about his local cure, he told MailOnline Travel: “As any local will tell you, nothing treats the day after like a cookie bojangles (a restaurant chain in the southeastern United States), whether it’s their buttermilk biscuit or a tasty steak and biscuit sandwich.’
According to Sarah, biscuits and gravy (soft-crust biscuits covered in white gravy, made with the fat of cooked pork sausage) are “quintessential Southern comfort foods that just feel good.”
Korea – Haejang-Guk (hangover soup)
Judy Joo, founder of Korean restaurant Seoul Food, explains: “In Korea our dog’s coat is a little different… it’s called Haejang-Guk and it means ‘hangover soup.'”
Judy Joo, founder of the Korean restaurant Seoul foodsaid: ‘In Korea our dog hair is a little different, we actually have a soup specifically for hangovers!
‘It’s called Haejang-Guk and means “hangover soup.” It usually consists of dried Napa cabbage, vegetables and meat in a hearty meat broth.
Italy – spaghetti aglio olio peperoncino
Matteo Delnevo, founder of Delnevos, told MailOnline: “I’m from Italy and when I’m feeling fragile there’s only one thing for it: a plate of Spaghetti Aglio Olio Peperoncino.”
The Italian panacea for morning shakes is a delicious pasta.
Matteo Delnevo, founder of an Italian food company Delnevos, told MailOnline Travel: ‘I’m from Italy and when I’m feeling fragile there’s only one thing for it: a plate of spaghetti with aglio olio peperoncino. It’s a comforting, hearty dish made with al dente spaghetti tossed in a creamy sauce 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 ate in Jersey: freshly shucked oysters, eaten on the beach and washed down with a pint of Guinness.
Nausea or healing? He insists on the latter (and emphasizes that food is not a regular occurrence).
Spain – Potato Tortilla (Spanish omelet)
“A classic dish that never fails is the potato omelette, also known as the Spanish omelette,” says a Spanish travel expert.
Lucía Polla, founder of live the life, is a Spanish travel expert. She told MailOnline Travel: ‘We Spaniards know a thing or two about how to cure a hangover after a long night of fun!
‘A classic dish that never fails is potato omelette, also known as Spanish omelette. This hearty breakfast of potatoes and eggs is a favorite 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 grandmother.’
In Spain it is considered a delicacy to undercook eggs: the more liquid, the better. That is why in Madrid there have been a series of cases of salmonella related to raw eggs in omelettes, so you have to eat with caution or the hangover can 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 a “Thai rice soup (khao dtom) when I’m feeling a little worse.”
Andy Oliver, co-founder of Thai restaurants som saa and lineA, likes to relieve post-drinking discomfort 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.”
“It’s essentially rice simmered in a light broth, seasoned with soy and white pepper, and then garnished with all sorts of good stuff, like fried garlic, roasted chili powder, finely chopped scallions, and ginger.”
Japan: miso soup with clams, ochazuke and umeboshi pickled plums
Miso and clam soup, a popular Japanese hangover ointment
Wayne Kask, creator of the travel blog Always on the shoreHe has traveled extensively in Japan.
Instead of anything fried or stuffed with cheese, he says, they look for “mild but nutritious sustenance,” like miso soup with clams, ochazuke (rice topped with broth and seaweed or fish), or umeboshi pickled plums, as Wayne told MailOnline. They are “rich in enzymes and compounds that help digestion.”
Portugal – francesinha
Francesinha is a delicious toast hangover cure unique to Porto and endorsed by the late, great Anthony Bourdain.
Francesinha, unique to Porto, Portugal, is the best toast for a hangover.
It is made by layering bread with pork, smoked sausage, bacon and finishing with a medium-cooked beef filet. More bread is added, then melted cheese before it is finally drowned in a melted, spiced tomato and beer sauce and served with a side of fries.
Francesinha was endorsed by the late great Anthony Bourdain, who said: “Meat, cheese, fat and bread.” It is the immortal combination.’
The question arises whether it is worth inducing cardiac arrest to cure a hangover.