Kan no Suke (Liver Assistant)
Here’s another patent medicine with miracle curative powers. Turmeric is well-known in Japan for helping your liver to process alcohol—it’s the curcumin that does the trick.
Inside the box are two sachets of granulated powder—one for before drinking and one for after. The powder is turmeric mixed with zedoary and some dried turtle bits. Zedoary is an Indian plant in the ginger family used as a medicinal stimulant.
Turmeric helps you drink more, zedoary fixes up the hangover, and the turtle stuff adds vigor to your body. Or as the company website says: Solve it, Erase it, Straighten it.
I enlisted Tod to test this out last night at Oktoberfest in Hibiya Park, though he downed the first packet with a swig of beer so I’m not sure how effective that one was.
When I asked him this morning, he said his liver felt fine and he didn’t seem to have a hangover. Was it the Kan no Suke at work? Hard to tell.
Price: 315 yen
Manufacturer: Hosendo
Sales Point: RanKing/RanQueen
Actually the turtle bits reassemble themselves inside of you when you swig that first packet down with beer. They left that part off the packet.
I love the happiness of all the characters on these packages. Happy beer mug!
Posted by: Jennifer on September 22, 2005 09:13 PM“orders a year’s supply”
Posted by: MJ on September 22, 2005 10:32 PMi haven’t tried this product but have partaken of a a similar okinawan tumeric/ukon flavor and it worked like a miracle. thanks for the reminder.
happy paragliding.
Posted by: james on September 23, 2005 12:27 AM