Yvonne’s Stuff

I’m feeling like poo. Blocked nose, bad headache, stiff, aching bones and other typical cold/flu-like symptoms are taking their toll on me. Coupled with a strange rash (that doesn’t disappear when pressed with a glass) and a nosebleed that feels like someone’s just turned on a tap in my nose really isn’t helping my near-hypochondriac tendencies.

Anyway, whilst I was being wimpy and lying in bed instead of working, I remembered this recipe for colds that my parents used to make when I was little. My aunt in Sheffield even sells it in her restaurant, although it’s not on the menu.

I say remedy… but it’s probably as much of a remedy as chicken soup, or honey and lemon in hot water. That is to say hot, comforting, and just makes you warm and cuddly.

Anyway, here we go:

Ancient Chinese Cold Remedy Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 Can of Coke
• 1/2 a Lemon
• 1 inch of Ginger

Method 1 - Traditional

1. Slice your lemon and your ginger into thin slivers.
2. Pour your coke into a saucepan, add your ginger and lemon.
3. Simmer your coke mixture over medium heat for about ten minutes.
4. Pour the hot coke into a mug, you can strain off the lemon and ginger if you want, but I like to leave them in the mug.
5. Curl up under duvet and sip your drink.

Method 2 - Yvonne’s Lazy Quick Method

This method is a lot faster, and requires less washing up. However, I don’t know if it might be less effective because the astringent juices of the ginger and lemon don’t get enough time to steep.

1. Slice your lemon and your ginger into thin slivers.
2. Pour your three quarters of the coke into your mug, add your ginger and lemon.
3. Nuke the mug of coke mixture in the microwave for 2 minutes, or however long the manufacturer recommends. I don’t use the whole can to give enough space for the ginger and lemon, and in case the liquids decide to overflow.
4. Take mug out of microwave, top up with the rest of the coke.
5. Curl up under duvet and sip your drink, feel the warm bubbles fizz up your nose.
6. Watch daytime television and fall asleep.

That’s it.

I think the main reason I like it is because it’s providing a good excuse to drink coke, and it’s tasty. Let me know what you think if you ever try this out.

I remembered that there was a traditional Japanese cold remedy, involving egg and sake. I found this recipe from Obachan’s Kitchen. It looks pretty interesting, and somehow stirrs up vague memories of being a young child and taking small surreptitious sips of a warm, sweet chinese rice wine with eggs. Anyway, I’ll be trying out Obachan’s recipe tonight!

Update : I discovered another interesting article about this recipe.

This entry was posted on Saturday, February 10th, 2007 at 12:21 am and is filed under Chinese, Health, Solutions, Yvonne's Musings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.