The Secret to Curing Hangovers

Is there anything more universal than a hangover (or even for the non-drinkers, the days where we just feel particularly blah)? We all know the feeling of wanting something warming and filling that will hit that sweet spot to comfort us when we aren’t feeling well.

But maybe you hadn’t realized that the food for hangovers has global appeal. In her new book Hangover Helper Lauren Shockey explores the hangover cures that hit the spot across an array of cultures and gives us new ideas to shake up our old routines.

Watch the video below to get Lauren’s advice and a recipe for a Japanese soup that is as asy to make as it is comforting.

OCHAZUKE GREEN TEA AND RICE SOUP

Ochazuke is the Japanese equivalent to ‘kitchen sink’ cuisine – it’s a dish you quickly throw together based on whatever bits and bobs you’ve got leftover in the refrigerator.The only real requirement for this traditional soup is that it must contain green tea and rice. Use any kind of green tea (tea bags are fine too), save for matcha, which has toostrong a flavour. This version of ochazuke is prepared with salmon and umeboshi,which are intensely sour Japanese salted plums (they’re available online or at Japanese supermarkets). Umeboshi themselves are also touted as a hangover cure in Japan.They’re pretty mouth puckering, though, so spoon up with caution.

Serves 2

Prep Time: 15 minutes (assuming you’ve already got cooked rice in the refrigerator)

Ingredients
130 g (4 ½ oz/1 cup) hot, cooked short-grain rice
50 g (1 ¾ oz) hot-smoked (kippered) salmon, skin removed and flaked into small pieces
2 pieces umeboshi (Japanese pickled plum)
2 tablespoons thinly sliced spring onion (scallion)
2 teaspoons crumbled or thinly sliced nori (seaweed)
4 teaspoons bubu arare (Japanese rice cracker balls) or crushed plain rice crackers orun
sweetened puffed rice cereal like Rice Krispies
500 ml (17 ½ fl oz/2 cups) hot green tea

Divide the hot rice between two large soup bowl. Top with the hot-smoked salmon,umeboshi, spring onion, nori and bubu arare. Pour 1 cup of the green tea over each bowl of rice and toppings and serve immediately.