[Sunday Culture] "Soup is the rule for hangover relief in Japan too"... The story of 'Nomishime'

Hangover Food Eaten After Drinking
Hangover Parfait Also Trending on SNS

This holiday weekend, thanks to the substitute holiday on Monday, messages inviting you for a drink are starting to come in from all over. Some of you might have already been hopping from one drinking party to another since Friday and are suffering from hangovers.

By any chance, do you eat something on your way home after drinking? Around me, there are people who must have ice cream or chocolate milk, among others. I also tend to grab some carbohydrate-rich food like tteokbokki from a street stall, or if not available, cup noodles or convenience store pasta to take home. Although such habits after drinking are not good for health, eating something before sleeping seems to help lessen the hangover the next day.

A promotional article about udon on the Miyazaki Prefecture website introduces it as "Udon eaten in the morning and after drinking." (Photo by Miyazaki Prefecture website)

Japan has a similar culture. There are hangover remedies eaten before going home or before sleeping after drinking. Each region has its own distinctive menu, which they take pride in. Today, I will share the story of Japan’s same-day hangover remedy called 'Nomishime' (のみ締め), meaning ‘finishing after drinking’.

According to a 2018 survey conducted by Asahi Group Holdings, the makers of Asahi Beer, among 1,077 male respondents, the number one hangover menu was ramen, chosen by 55.1%. It’s fitting since ramen originated there. Whether in Korea or Japan, ‘soup-based hangover remedies’ seem to be the truth. Warm broth and solid ingredients to chew on make it just right. The survey responses included comments like “ramen tastes ten times better after drinking” and “warm broth is the best.”

The second most popular was ochazuke (42.2%), a dish where rice is soaked in tea. This is likely due to its simplicity and easy digestibility. Other popular choices included porridge, soba noodles, and udon, while some finished their hangover cure with coffee (9.3%), tea (8.6%), or miso soup (5.8%).

Among 885 female respondents, the top choice was ice cream at 38.2%, followed closely by ramen at 35.9%, showing that ramen is the most popular hangover menu across genders and ages. Notably, many people used desserts as hangover cures, including cake (14.8%) and parfait (12.2%).

Hangover menus also vary by region. Local governments actively promote their specialties. In Miyazaki, known for its udon noodles so soft they can be cut with chopsticks, the local government website advertises, “Miyazaki udon is great after drinking. Many udon specialty shops open late at night for customers who come after drinking, so come and try it.”

Additionally, in Okinawa, where Western-style dishes like steak have developed due to the U.S. military presence, it is common to eat teppan steak after drinking.

Fukuoka, the birthplace of tonkotsu ramen and home to famous ramen franchises like Ichiran, is known for tonkotsu ramen as a representative hangover dish. I once went drinking with a friend living in Fukuoka, and he said, “In Fukuoka, it’s always ramen to finish,” so we ended the night at a ramen shop open late. I remember the place was packed with people curing their hangovers even in the hot summer.

A homepage introducing a Shime Parfait shop in Sapporo. (Photo by Sapporo Shime Parfait)

There is also a trendy and unique hangover remedy these days: eating parfait. Recently, on Japanese social media, ‘Shime Parfait’?eating parfait instead of soup like ramen at the end of a drinking session?has become very popular. This culture originally comes from Hokkaido, especially Sapporo, where dairy farming is well developed and dairy products are delicious. It’s popular because you can enjoy ice cream and sweet desserts all at once. This culture has recently started spreading throughout Japan, making ‘Shime Parfait’ a hit.

Of course, the urge to keep eating after drinking is because the liver is detoxifying and the body temporarily enters a low blood sugar state. Above all, excessive drinking is harmful. Have a healthy holiday weekend.