After a night of drinking, you may wake up with a horrible hangover. Over time, many people have attempted to cure their hangovers with various home remedies and different types of food. One of the best hangover foods for you to try is menudo. The soup has long been considered a folk remedy for the worst hangover symptoms. There’s even a saying to go along with it: menudo for the crudo (Spanish for hangover).
Here is what you should know about this spicy soup and its effect on your hangover:
What is Menudo?
Menudo is a traditional Mexican soup with many regional variations. It is often made with beef stomach (tripe) but can also be prepared with beef leg. At Guadalajara’s Grill & Tequila Bar, we make our menudo based on the Sonoran tradition. This means that we use a white broth rather than the red broth that is common in other regions of Mexico. The broth includes hominy as well as a blend of herbs and spices. We top the soup with chopped onion and cilantro.
The Social History of Menudo
This soup has a rich history within Mexican culture. Since traditional preparation with tripe can take a long time, Menudo has often been enjoyed at large gatherings or celebrations. The dish got its reputation as one of the best hangover foods partially because of its traditional consumption in social settings. Families would pass down the remedy through the generations, making it an accepted cure for drinking a little too much the night before.
Does Menudo Actually Cure a Hangover?
Although many people have anecdotal evidence that menudo was able to help them after a night of drinking, it is much like any other so-called hangover cure in that there is only partial evidence to support its healing properties. No food is able to magically cure your hangover and the only real way to avoid it is to not drink alcohol. However, there are many properties of menudo that may help you with certain hangover symptoms.
Spice/Capsaicin
Capsaicin is the chemical compound that gives spicy food its kick. In addition to tasting delicious, this spice can actually help you with a headache. Consuming capsaicin releases endorphins that may relieve some of your pain. The result is mainly due to the ability of a spicy dish to distract you, but nevertheless many people swear by it.
Hydration
Alcohol is a diuretic, which means it leads to dehydration. This causes or worsens many hangover symptoms. Drinking water both during your night out and the morning after can reduce the negative effects of alcohol. This is a reason why menudo is helpful for a hangover. The soup provides more hydration than other types of food and as a result, you may feel better, if only slightly.
Blood Sugar
When you wake up after a night out, you may feel nauseated. This can be due to a low blood glucose level. Eating hearty food may raise your blood sugar and help ease your nausea. This is why so many recommended hangover cures are greasy food. This fills you up and may help you feel better by distracting you. There is no scientific evidence that a given food will cure your hangover.
visit Guads and Enjoy the Best Hangover Food
The truth is that there is no food that can completely cure a hangover. However, there is some evidence that a hearty bowl of menudo can help you feel just a little bit better. Besides, it is delicious enough that you will want to enjoy it whether you are hungover or not. We won’t judge.
