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Cloves of garlic, lemon, honey and Vicksvaporub, were some of the home remedies used this week to fight a cold.
“Ponte el ‘vicvaporu’; it will make it all better.”
Those were abuela’s directions this week when I told her I was coming down with the flu. Back home, and in El Alto, the home remedy choices are endless, smelly, and not always particularly tasty.
But as far as Vick’s VapoRub, if you come from a household like mine, you are raised to believe it cures everything.
It cures the common cold, and if you rub some on your temples, it will cure your headache. Melt some on a spoon and use it as a hot ointment over your throat; boil some in water for a makeshift vaporizer; cover that nasty blackhead on it to make it go away; and last, but not least, lather the bottom of your feet with the minty gunk to help you break your fever.
The last one requires wearing at least two pairs of socks to save your bed sheets.
I have tried all of these techniques, mainly forced by my family’s ideas and devotion, to the Vick’s God. Do they work? For all that minty tingling and the smell, which will stay with you, they better.
I resort to shiny pills from the local chain pharmacy, which typically provide only temporary relief. Time and again, abuela’s old recipes prove me wrong, and so do the few ladies of El Alto, pseudo-pharmacists all, who provided their advice this week.
El Alto’s pharmacies, not the ones you’re thinking of, but rather the kitchens of abuelas, restaurants, and bodegas that often carry a world of many products, some with peculiar-sounding names.
“Rompe Pecho,” is a good example. It translates to “Chest Breaker” and despite it sounding like it might create some pain, it actually relieves it. The cough syrup is easily found in most Latino-owned bodegas, sitting just behind the counter. I grew up watching commercials for this stuff on the Spanish networks and with a family who swore by it.
It is a honey blend of herbs, Echinacea, golden seal, menthol, and ginko, only to name a few ingredients that promise to relieve any cough and flu-like symptoms.
On to the more “natural” stuff.
The woman who works behind the counter at Floridita Restaurant recommended a shot of rum, and a quick swipe of honey-covered lemon to chase it down with.
Rum fixes everything. I knew that, but this wasn’t any rum, it was Mamajuana, an elixir of herbs, tree bark, and rum which has been in Caribbean cultures for centuries, beginning with Taino Indians who used the herbs to brew a powerful tea concoction. Years later came the rum.
Mamajuana coats the throat, and the honey-covered lemon wedge helps by leaving a sweet aftertaste. If needed, repeat.
Whether it comes before or after your encounter with Mamajuana, there’s no cold you can try to get through without a sampling of chicken soup. On day three of my cold, a sampling of the cure-all came from Dyckman Express, which serves a heaping bowl of steaming soup, yucca and potatoes in a thick soup charged with flavor. Squeeze some lime in to make it perfect, and add a shot of vitamin C.
When all else fails, resort to abuela’s medicine cabinet, like I did when I called her to request an old recipe this week. Based on the all-powerful garlic, the blend is sure to leave your breath smelling a bit, but your throat relieved and cured. I leave you with her recipe. It also helps if you sneak some Vick’s on your chest and get a good night’s sleep. I’m all better.
Ajito:
1 whole clove of garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons of honey
fresh-squeezed lemon juice
Warm the honey and lemon on the stove until it starts to simmer. Add the garlic and mix well together.
Drink in one shot.
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