Bizarre Hangover Cures From Around The World

Germany: Pickled Herring

Pickled or marinated herring is what the Germans call their KaterFrühstück, which means 'hangover breakfast'. Pickled herring is made by wrapping a fillet of herring around chunks of onion and sliced gherkin.

Rome: Deep Fried Canaries

Although this hangover cure isn't used anymore (well, we hope not anyway!), it was popular with the Ancient Romans. According to Urban Legends, the Romans deep-fried canary birds using hot oil, salt and pepper, to help ease their sore heads.

Poland: Sour Pickle Juice

Pickled juice from the jars of pickled vegetables and fish is what the Polish drink when trying to bash their hangover. They believe its high levels of electrolytes help repair the liver damage after one too many beverages and are just as hydrating as water.

USA: Prairie Oyster

The go-to hangover cure for most Americans, the prairie oyster is made of tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper and raw egg. This unsavoury drink is designed to be drank quickly as it doesn't taste very nice. Some like to add a touch of the 'hair of the dog' and add a splash of alcohol in it.

Romania: Tripe Soup

The stomach lining of a cow (tripe) is enough to make your stomach turn, but in Romania, it's the perfect way to cure a hangover. The edible offal is boiled in a salty, greasy broth and eaten in a soup, complete with cream, garlic and onions.

Japan: Pickled Plums

These small, red and seriously sour 'umeboshi' plums are a popular post-drinking remedy in Japan. In contrast to the sweet version, these have been pickled in acidic vinegar. If brave enough, Japanese eat them whole or put them in their green tea to allow the salty flavours to infuse into the liquid.

Mexico: Shrimps

When Mexicans are feeling rough the next day after a night on the tiles, they eat 'Vuelva a la Vida' foods, which means 'return to life'. These include shrimps - and plenty of them. The most popular hangover dish is a zesty shrimp salad.

Namibia: Buffalo Milk

This concoction is Namibia's key to curing a hangover after a long night's boozing. However, despite its name, it doesn't contain buffalo's milk. Instead it's an alcoholic cocktail of clotted cream, dark rum, cream liqueur, spiced rum and whole cream. These 'hair of the dog' ingredients are mixed together to make a curdled beverage, which is believed to numb hangover symptoms - or just get you drunk again.

Before You Start: Bowl Of Pasta

The idea of "lining your stomach" before a night on the booze is not just an old wives' tale. Drinking on an empty stomach can cause a build-up of acid and damage the stomach lining. Eating a substantial carb-based meal will help reduce excess acid as well as preventing blood sugar levels dipping during the evening.

Before You Start: Milk Thistle Supplement

A hangover is a your body's way of telling you that your liver can't cope with the toxins you've inflicted upon it. <a href="http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/pages/categories.asp?cid=35&afid=70&safid=ggl&scid=13435&cm_mmc=Google-_-Digestion-_-PG - Milk Thistle - Generic - MTE-_-%5bmilk thistle%5d&gclid=CMOzur3Kpa0CFYEhtAod7lDzGw" target="_hplink">Milk Thistle</a> is a herbal supplement that boosts liver function and helps it to process alcohol faster. Take it in liquid or tablet form before you go out and again the next morning.

On The Night: Carbonated Water

It's long been understood that drinking a glass of water between each alcoholic drink will help stave off dehydration and prevent hangover headaches the following morning. But the NHS suggests optimising the effect by <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/alcohol/Pages/Hangovers.aspx" target="_hplink">drinking carbonated water - whether it's soda or sparkling mineral water - to help speed up the absorption of alcohol into your system</a>.

On The Night: Avoid Dark Drinks

Researchers at Brown University, New England, found <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1237065/The-dark-secret-worst-hangovers-revealed-colour-drink-determines-bad-feel.html" target="_hplink">the severity of a hangover is affected by the colour of the alcohol being drunk</a>, with darker drinks the worst offenders thanks to the high number of chemicals they contain. If in doubt, opt for white wine or vodka over red wine or bourbon.

Before Bed: Large Glass Of Water

We all know we're supposed to drink a huge glass of water before we hit the sack but when there's a half-empty bottle of wine sitting in the fridge it can be all too easy to get distracted. Water is essential to prevent that morning-after dehydration migraine so put a bottle of water by your bed (or on your pillow if that's what it takes) to avoid that morning-after regret.

Before Bed: Crackers

When your body starts pulling you towards the nearest kebab shop at 2am, it probably has a point. Going to bed with a stomach full of nothing but alcohol is not going to do you any favours when you wake up in the morning. But a greasy kebab or burger will only exacerbate nausea. Eat something plain such as cream crackers or toast to soak up any excess stomach acid.

The Morning After: Bacon Sandwich

Good news - that juicy bacon sandwich you've been dreaming about all morning is scientifically proven to alleviate your hangover. A study at Newcastle University's Centre for Life found that <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/5118283/Bacon-sandwich-really-does-cure-a-hangover.html" target="_hplink">bacon contains aminos, which help to top up the neurotransmitters that are depleted by alcohol consumption</a>.

The Morning After: Hangover Pill

The <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2011/12/09/hangover-pill-that-works-in-15-minutes_n_1139103.html" target="_hplink">'blowfish' hangover pill promises to eradicate all the symptoms of a hangover</a> in just 15 minutes. The brainchild of ex-financier Brendna Haysom, the £1.90 pill claims to "restore mental alertness or wakefulness when experiencing fatigue or drowsiness associated with a hangover".