Home remedy for the flue

In Finland when you have a flue you take homemade hot black currant juice with brown sugar.

The children usually hate it because the taste is so strong and the sugar can’t really hide it.

But you’re told to drink it up, everything, the last bit.

Yes, even the last drop.

And why? Because it’s good for you. That’s why.

That’s what will make you get well, not the doctor.

My grandmother, with coffee, no hot black currant juice here.But in Finland coffee is a proven cure for everything.

So do not worry, she is getting better with every sip.

When I came to Ecuador there were no black currants.

People didn’t have any idea what they were.

There was a huge amount of new fruits, some exotic and tasty, others not so much.

It was a feast for senses, the colors, the shapes, the tastes.

Sweet, tart, juicy, firm, bland, and downright weird.

At first it was a real feast.

I have learned to love guabas, granadillas, maracuyas, guanabanas, ovos and capulis.

They are part of so many other fruits you can find here, and I never even seen prior coming to Ecuador.

¹¹ Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. ¹² The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. ¹³ And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.

Genesis 1:11-13

But when I got the flu, I still had no idea to do.

I would eat oranges and drink lemonade to get vitamin C.

I would stack up ibuprofen.

But just didn’t feel right.

And I missed my hot black currant juice with brown sugar with its terrible tart taste that would instantly make me feel better.

Because worse the medicine tastes the better it is for you, right?

Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security.

Jeremiah 33:6

Finally I was introduced to Ecuadorian hot lemonade.

I can promise if you do it right, it will taste horrible also.

That is why I have my own version of it.

Still healthy but with a bit more sugar to take away the tartness.

You'll need:

Water

Melissa (toronjil)

Indian sugar or raw sugar

Lemons

First of all, get some melissa boiling in the water.

After the melissa has boiled for a while,

cut some lemons and squeeze the juice to the water.

You need to save some pieces so you can put

them into the water with melissa.

This is where the hot lemonade gets its tartness.

Cut or grate the Indian sugar into small pieces

and add them in the boiling mix.

Let it boil until you cannot see the pieces

of sugar anymore.

Enjoy!

This is actually very tasty, and still healthy, if you use some Indian sugar.

Of course, if the old adage is true, and definitely according to Ecuadorian grandmothers, you need to drink it absolutely without sugar and so hot it will burn your mouth.

That way it will really boost your health and kill that nasty flue.

But I'm lot happier drinking it with my Indian sugar and enjoying it while I drink.

After all, it's not like it's hot black currant juice. 

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