Boston Globe food critic Devra First just wrote about an unfortunate bout with food poisoning. She mentions that effervescent Italian digestive aids have helped settle tummy troubles.
Has anybody tried such remedies as Brioschi, Crastan, or Galeffi? The Strategist has a roundup here. I’m wondering if I ought to add one of these antacids to our medicine cabinet (we don’t have medical contraindications to using them). Interested in your experience if you have tried any of these. Useful? Or don’t bother?
(Linked articles may have a paywall. No gift-link option, unfortunately.)
I can attest to Galeffi Effervescente being in my Italian Aunts cupboard forever. Once prepared with water, it reacts like any antacid. She can tolerate the flavor over other more common brands. It’s also inexpensive.
I haven’t used it myself. For the occasional heartburn I use warm lemon water and taking a break from the next meal.
Drink upside down. That works 9 times out of 10 for me. If they’re doing it in public I hope they don’t care how it looks. Personally, I’d rather look stupid than deal with a hiccup, but EEMMV
I’ve never used this Japanese product, but it’s been around forever and from what I can tell, in terms of effects, would be very similar to the Italian products.
Some more info about it from the National Institute of Health:
I’ve had that - yup, that works! Another that was given to me when I was about 16yo and had a terrible case of hiccups was heated blackberry brandy. Oh yeah - that got rid of them right quick!
My usual go to for “regular” hiccups is a teaspoon of sugar dissolved slowly on the tongue.
My dad was introduced to Fernet Branca in Italy and took the digestive claims to heart. Years later, after he died, I cleaned out his apartment - and brought home his bottle of Fernet Branca. It got dropped/fell, and broke on my travertine floor. What a stain! And in the middle of the living room! Doesn’t wash away. But the InterWebs provided a solution - a poultice of at least 20 percent hydrogen peroxide applied and covered with plastic wrap for 24 hours. Handy tip - the developer in most permanent hair color kits is 20 percent hydrogen peroxide. So there’s your emergency source.
I don’t like the taste - FB not hydrogen peroxide.
Yeah me too… But sometimes a taste can be so off-putting, you immediately hate it, but then you get curious again how it tastes, take a nip, do this a few times, and at some point you think: I like this taste, at least once in a while. As I get older, I’ve started to like bold flavours more. Same as with the smoked herring dish my mom makes…
But at least it sounds like it worked as intended.
