Anthony Bourdain's Hangover Cure Was Iconic (Even If It Might Not Work)

Anthony Bourdain traveled the world for his TV shows, "Parts Unknown" and "No Reservations," sampling all kinds of foods and drinks. Lots of drinks. As for cocktails, Anthony Bourdain called the Negroni "perfect," and he also didn't hide the fact that he'd done his share of partying. He knew a thing or two about hangovers, but he didn't knock back Pedialyte, or scarf down carb-loaded pancakes or bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches. Instead, Bourdain's hangover ritual was a four-part reflection of the many facets of his personality.

Bourdain shared his routine when TMZ Sports asked him what to do for a hangover, and he rattled off, "Aspirin, cold Coca-Cola, smoke a joint, eat some spicy Sichuan food. Works every time." In fact, he told Men's Journal you should "schedule your hangover" by getting up as early as you can to perform this ritual. The truth is there aren't any hangover cures; you just have to wait it out. But you can do things to make the experience a little more pleasant.

So will Bourdain's prescription ease your symptoms? Old school aspirin can help relieve a pounding headache and reduce the inflammation that makes you achy and miserable. Coke helps with alcohol-caused dehydration, and its caffeine can soothe a headache, combined with sugar for an energy boost. Marijuana can relieve nausea and reduce anxiety so you're less stressed about feeling crappy. Finally, spicy food can make you sweat out toxins and release mood-lifting endorphins. Starting to feel better already?

Putting aside Anthony Bourdain's hangover advice, there are general things you can do to feel a little better. Drink water or other beverages like fruit juice or electrolyte-replenishing Gatorade, and have some food — particularly something bland to ease your stomach. You may be able to take aspirin or ibuprofen, preferably with food since they can irritate your stomach more than it already is from the alcohol. But no "hair of the dog." Alcohol may make you feel a little better at first, but you'll just have a worse hangover later.

Trying to get rid of a hangover has been the quest of morning-after sufferers for millennia, and cultures around the world have their own food "cures" loyalists swear by. People in Poland drink pickle juice, while eating pickled sausages is popular in the Czech Republic. In South Korea, one of the many versions of "hangover soup" features bean sprouts, scallions, and chili in an anchovy and kelp broth. Pho is a go-to in Vietnam — and also, apparently, in Pennsylvania. Anthony Bourdain's favorite hangover-curing pho chain was Pho 75 in Philadelphia.

They eat tart plums in Japan that have been salt-cured, fermented, and dried. True to form, Italians have "midnight spaghetti" before bed, usually with an aglio e olio sauce of garlic sautéed in olive oil with chili flakes. And Peruvians drink "tiger's milk," the liquid that's left after seafood like shrimp is "cooked" in lime or lemon juice to make ceviche. Still, while these "cures" may be delicious, perhaps the best method to prevent a hangover is by keeping your drinking to the level of a pleasant buzz in the first place.