2016 Nov 30
by Nikita Gomez
With the monsoonal season upon us the common cold here couldn’t be more understated. We have all caught this nuisance at some point and we’ve literally felt like we were dying. From a runny nose that doesn’t seem to stop to a clogged nose so bad that we end up gasping for air like a fish out of water and reminiscing about the time when we used to take breathing for granted, we also have to deal with a heavy head, a sore throat and a touch of fever which is just about enough to make us want to curl up and make it all go away, especially when we have to go on with our daily routine of work or school. This is where our very unique Sri Lankan home remedies come in (usually brought to us courtesy of our mums!).
Samahan
Ah these golden packets which often look enticing but taste absolutely, if I may say, BLEH! is often the first remedy we think of. Of course it includes us putting up a fuss beforehand and trying to negotiate the amount we need to drink before we finally give in to the fact that we that this may be our only cure. That being said it does provide instant relief (though at the cost of our taste buds).
Pas panguwa / kasaya
This too is based on Ayurvedic principles and is quite effective. It contains 5 different herbal ingredients making it 5 times yuckier and whether you believe in Ayurveda or not, when you are suffering from a cold you will take anything if you have even the slightest chance of coming to the end of the god-awful tunnel.
Siddhalepa
You may have noticed we Sri Lankans love our Ayurvedic remedies and Siddahalepa is no exception. These yellow bottles of balm can be found in every household and are especially effective when you have aches and pains. I’ve found that applying a bit of it on the bridge of your nose helps free up a clogged nose for a few hours; that is, at the expense of your nose burning and eyes tearing because you applied hell, in the form of balm, on your nose -.-
Vegetable Soup
All of us long for a hot cup of soup to clear and soothe our hurting throat and most of fantasize about Chicken Noodle Soup; you know the ones we see in movies??? Instead our parents seize this opportunity to make us a soup with boiled vegetables with a ton of pepper (the very ones we refuse to eat on a daily basis) and they never fail to remind us that if we had eaten our vegetables before, none of this would have happened. If you are like me and hate boiled vegetables you will realize that the struggle to avoid eating this at all costs is very real.
Inguru Koththamalli tea
This is a combination of ginger and coriander and is THE tea to cure colds and sore throats. Taste wise; it is bearable when compared to the other two but still takes a toll on your taste buds. Lankans will always have a soft-spot for tea; be it plain tea, milk tea (my personal favourite), herbal tea etc. Nonetheless, a good cup of tea, whatever the flavour may be, is always a go-to remedy for Sri Lankans everywhere.
(Tip: another special tea concoction for a sore throat is a Ginger-Honey tea which will shoo away those disease-causing germs which set up camp in your throat)
Karpuravalli
Although this may not be so common compared to the others, if you have a sore throat this is THE remedy for you. Chewing on two or three of these bitter tasting leaves can soothe your throat instantly. It is easily found in supermarkets or can even be grown in your own garden.
Herbal Steam Inhalation
Unsurprisingly, Sri Lankans love to use herbs and spices in everything we possibly can. Well, this remedy includes adding coriander, ginger, lime and cinnamon into a boiling pot of water and inhaling the aromatic steam. Here’s the best part; all you have to do is inhale it, which of course, in turn, will make you feel like the fires of hell decided to crawl up your blocked nose and have some fun. But, hey! No pain no gain, am I right? (Sadly, yes)
