Five New Orleans hangover remedies

Well, of course, here in the land of go cups, drive-through daiquiris, hand grenades and big-ass beers, we’re consumed with hangover remedies. So, after some sober research online, I offer these NOLA-centric cures for New Year’s Eve over-indulgence.

A cure for the soul

Yakamein, that only-in-New Orleans hot soup with spices, eggs, noodles, onions, lots of salt, and, well, a lot of other stuff has become a go-to hangover remedy for New Orleanians. According to Ms. Linda, New Orleans’ own Yakamein Lady, African-American soldiers in Korea used the soup to sober up after bouts of fighting and drinking during the Korean War, and eventually brought it home with them. California food chemistry professor Dr. Alyson Mitchell, in an interview with WWL TV, theorizes why it may be an intuitive cure that turned out to be the real thing: The eggs in yakamein contain a chemical that helps remove toxins, the soy broth helps with re-hydration, and glutarates in the meat help prevent headaches.

A cure for cutting-edge types

It was only a matter of time. A national trend for rehydration through IV therapy has arrived in New Orleans with The Remedy Room on lower St. Charles Avenue. For $149, the new boutique infusion salon will hook you up to an IV for 45 minutes to replenish fluids lost to late-night carousing. The Hangover Therapy adds vitamins and minerals to the IV fluids, and there’s a $50 non-intravenous treatment for those who can’t tolerate needles. It’s not meant as a routine cure, but a one-time option for The Big One – which means the waiting room might get crowded post-NYE. There’s also a mobile Remedy Room unit that takes the treatment to the streets — or private functions.

A cure for the health conscious (do they drink?)

Green Drink (Photo: gonola.com)

The current obsession for frothy, made-to-order juice blends fits right in with the search for local hangover remedies. With everything from cabbage to cucumbers ending up in the glass these days, it’s a vitamin- and mineral-packed approach to hydration. Try something like the Green Drink at Satsuma – apple, fennel, kale, cucumber and celery. Anything with bananas also reputedly helps.

A cure for the incorrigible

If only the hair of the dog will do, then whip up a Ramos Gin Fizz, the traditional New Orleans cocktail for hangovers. The sugar and fruit work to rehydrate faster than water, and the cream and egg white soothe the stomach. They say. Above, a local bartender shows you how it’s done.

A cure for carnivores

Last year, Eater NOLA asked readers for their best local hangover dishes. Since greasy food is an age-old remedy for the day after, it’s perhaps no surprise that they gave top hangover-cure honors to The Company Burger. Add an egg and bacon to a double burger and a side of fries, and the grease (and cholesterol) quotient soars. Runners-up for the Eater NOLA survey included Verdi Mart’s French fry po-boy and Slim Goodies’ Slammer bowl of hash browns, bacon, eggs, cheese and perhaps the kitchen sink.