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Did you wake up with a desert-dry mouth, hammering head pain and a faint sense of regret? If your festive merriment occasionally gets out of hand, there’s a world of hangover cures to soothe you, shock you, and possibly make you feel a little bit worse. Take a deep breath, mutter ‘never again’, and check out Lonely Planet’s favourite ways to heal a hangover.

So many cocktails, which one was the culprit? Photo by Jerry Alexander

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Japan: plums, miso soup and a hot bath

Japan has a whole menu of remedies after a night on the sake. A nourishing bowl of miso soup can replace lost fluids and salts, and yeasty kombucha tea can boost your friendly bacteria levels. Alternatively, a bite of umeboshi pickled plum is said to restore your vigour and give that beleaguered liver a boost. Nibble it straight if you want to look tough, or soak it in water and drink the infusion. And for those who can stomach a slap-up meal, drown the hangover in a plate of sushi before heading to the onsen (hot springs) to sweat it out. Kill or cure, then.

Philippines: a succulent snack of duck embryo

Putting away some protein can definitely restore your strength, but doing this Filipino-style means duck-embryo delicacy balut. A wobbly poached egg is enough to make many hangover sufferers take a deep steadying breath, but when the egg is accompanied by a beaky underdeveloped chick, blinking out from its eggshell, who could blame you for turning pale?

Poland: get pickled, eat pickles

The legendary drinking tolerance of the Poles doesn’t make them impervious to the occasional hangover. After a shot too many of Zubrowka, Poles reach for something sour: a swig of pickle juice to zap their tastebuds and bump up their salt levels, a nibble on a gherkin or some pickled herring on rye bread. And if the reason for your morning-after malady is that you tried to outdrink a Pole, we suspect you won’t be trying that again.

India: replenish yourself with coconut water

Refreshing, electrolyte-rich and delicate in taste, coconut water is India’s preferred hangover cure. Coconut water is the clear liquid from young green coconuts, not the creamy staple ingredient of Thai curries (rather too rich for a post-revelry beverage). So there’s no assault on the tastebuds here, just a healthy and thirst-quenching tonic. If only the exotic flavour wasn’t so reminiscent of the Pina Coladas that got you into this state…

Italy: a strong espresso

As you gaze groggily through bloodshot eyes, a hot Italian coffee might seem like the perfect lightning bolt to bring you back to life. But Italian espresso is a controversial cure, as coffee’s diuretic properties are likely to dehydrate you even more. This added strain on your system will easily outlast the killer buzz you get from Italy’s dark elixir. But at least proper Italian coffee is worth a little extra pain.

Great Britain: hair of the dog

Drinkers of Great Britain laugh at creative hangover cures, because the solution is right in front of you: just keep drinking! Having a ‘hair of the dog that bit you’ means a gulp of alcoholic top-up the morning after a heavy night. And yes, an extra slug of booze will boost your sugar levels and there are definitely some vitamins in that Bloody Mary, but there’s only so long you can postpone the pain…

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Share your home remedies and hangover cures on Lonely Planet’s Thorn Tree forum or in the comments section below!

Hide 6 comments

1. December 9, 2011 my_destination Report this comment

   Ahh, Britain…leading the way with sensible solutions. The tomato in a Bloody Mary counts towards your 5 a day as well, right?

2. December 10, 2011 hollysweet Report this comment

   In Bruges this past spring, I indulged in a few Trappist beers at De Gaar. Usually I’m a 3-drink-max kind of girl, and I had my three, and figured I’d be fine. I neglected to notice that Trappist beers have a bit higher alcohol content than the Mexican beer I’m used to. I had a big Belgian waffle the next day, but it was topped with so much sugar, it didn’t seem to help. I wish I would have known what the best Belgian cure would be…

3. December 12, 2011 hechicera Report this comment

   hi, when i spent new year in venezuela, next day on the beach they all eat a cup full of fresh opend mussels with hot sauce, salt, pepper and lime.dont know if it helps, couldnt eat it at that moment…

4. December 12, 2011 daysmex Report this comment

   A torta ahogada, a traditional dish from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, will help you settle down your stomach and get through the day after a night of Tequila shots. This dish is a sandwich made with a crunchy crust bread sliced open and filled with chopped pork meat, chicken and thong might be available too for a light version, and beans. Then the torta is submerged in a hot sauce made with chili pepper (chile de arbol) and other spices, a less spicy version is made with tomatoes. Eat one torta ahogada and you will be ready for another round of Tequila shots…. @daysmex

5. December 13, 2011 fatninjakid Report this comment

   Ibuprofen, two litres of Aqualyte and a thick layer of vegemite on toast.

6. December 16, 2011 alexgirl82 Report this comment

   Ceviche with lots of lime juice and hot sauce is my number one cure! delicious, light, healthy, and makes you feel better right away!