Boiled Coke with Lemon and Ginger 檸檬可樂煲薑 (Cantonese: ling mung hoa lok bo geung) or 檸樂薑 (ling lok geung) is a drink born in Hong Kong. It’s an urban legend that the combination of hot Coca Cola, ginger and lemon can cure colds and flus if you drink it when you first get symptoms. It became so popular that you could order it at Hong Kong cafés starting in the 1970’s.
During the 70’s, labourers in Hong Kong couldn’t afford to see a physician when they were sick. They often used cheaper traditional herbs and methods passed down from their parents. When Coca Cola came along, folks would swear by Boiled Coke with Lemon and Ginger 檸檬可樂煲薑. They used it to treat the common cold and flu at the first signs of symptoms. It was tasty, seemed to work and cost a lot less than a visit to the doctor’s.
Is it really a myth or could it actually work? My mom swears by this remedy. Even living here in Canada where doctor visits are free, my mom would make me drink it whenever I got sick. It sure seemed to work for me! I believe that this remedy stems from an ancient Chinese cold remedy. The herbal remedy uses mature ginger (老薑), brown sugar(紅糖) and water. You boil it all together and drink it while it’s hot to get rid of the cold and dampness from your body. Once your blood is invigorated by the hot ginger, the brown sugar helps to boost production of blood to trigger your immune system.
In terms of Boiled Coke with Lemon and Ginger 檸檬可樂煲薑, Coke is very acidic. It is so acidic that it can be used to clean many things like rusty metals, grout and even toilet bowls! You might be saying, “isn’t consuming acidic things bad for us?” I think the answer is “yes and no”. Yes, it’s bad for us when our body is already acidic. But “no” because sometimes we need to be acidic to properly digest and kill bacteria. Of course, we don’t want to kill all bacteria. From the perspective of Chinese herbology, the body needs to be balanced. It’s when the body is out of balance, illness happens. So, when you’re not acidic enough, it’s not good either.
Lemons can actually help counter some of the acidic effects in your body and can provide vitamin C and bioflavonoids to boost the immune system. Consequently, I think this remedy is a combination of new and old, east and west. I can definitely understand how this concoction could help the body fight off infections.
Since we are now entering the autumn season, this might be a good drink to serve when you’re feeling a bit cold. Serve it with your favourite Hong Kong café foods to add to the atmosphere!
Sore throat? My Throat Soothing Tea 羅漢果紅棗薑茶 is another drink recipe my family uses when we're not feeling too great.
Please note that I am not a healthcare professional. The information above is purely speculation and observation from my own personal experience. You should always consult your physician for professional healthcare advice.
Boiled Coke with Lemon and Ginger 檸檬可樂煲薑
Ingredients
- 330 ml Coca Cola
- 25 g Ginger , grated and/or sliced
- ¾ Lemon
Instructions
- Wash the lemon. Cut a ¼ piece and 3 to 4 slices
- Pour 330ml Coca Cola into a pot.
- Grate 25 g of ginger into the pot. Bring to a boil
You can slice some too but grated ginger will give you a stronger ginger taste. I used both grated and sliced. In the end, I put the sliced ones in the cup and removed the grated ones with a sieve. - Turn heat down to low, cover with lid and let cook for 5 minutes
- Squeeze out the juice from ¼ lemon into the pot then put it into the pot. Turn off heat. Cover with lid for 3 minutes
- Pour into a cup using a sieve if you don’t want the grated ginger in your cup. Add the additional sliced lemon
- Serve with a spoon and drink while warm
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