The results are in: hangovers are a universal punishment bestowed upon those guilty of over-drinking, but remedies for those hangovers vary widely from city to city.
According to Time Out's second City Index, quizzing 20,000 participants across 18 cities worldwide about their drinking and nightlife habits, people around the globe go through an average of 17 hangover days a year (that translates into 5% of your year!). Sydney, London, Paris, Melbourne, Hong Kong and Mexico City top the list of cities with the highest average number of hangovers per year. How do they cure their massive headaches and overall state of ill-being? Mostly, food.
After a big night out, Parisians opt for fatty and greasy foods while Tokyo residents slurp miso soup (ideally, with shijimi clams) or ukon, which is made with tumeric and is said to actually prevent hangovers. On this side of the ocean, New Yorkers try to cure the unwanted effects of liquor consumption with a classic bacon, egg and cheese sandwich while those in Chicago prefer an Italian beef sandwich, where the bun is dipped in its own gravy and then topped with giardiniera (delicious pre- or post-drinking, if you ask us). How about the folks in Miami? They're partial to an angus patty sandwiched between two fried plantains.
Those living in Barcelona have a slightly different approach to hangovers: In order to avoid feeling sick, they chug water or a soft drink at the end of the night and cozy up to some broth the next day.
On another note, in true British style, London drinkers cure their morning-after blues by... drinking even more. After all, there's a reason why "hair of the dog," an expression that alludes to consuming alcohol to lessen the effects of a hangover, is a popular saying in England.
But the really interesting results come courtesy of liquor lovers in Lisbon and Sydney, who actually don't mention food as their go-to cure. What do they do instead? Take a trip to the ocean. Whether it be a quick swim or a day of surfing, residents of Lisbon and Sydney swear that heading to a body of water after a long night out is the only way to survive the next-day effects of over-drinking—we'll let you know if that actually works after our date with the bartender tonight.