Guggle Muggle

Informant: B is a 20-year old born and raised in Southern California. He and his family are Jewish, and are all involved in theater.

Main Piece:
Informant: “My grandma used to, when we were sick, make this drink called guggle muggle. It was milk, honey, and egg.”

Interviewer: And it was supposed to cure sickness?

Informant: “Yeah, yeah, for things like a sore throat or a cold or whatever. You’d drink the guggle muggle, and usually it’d be warm. It was supposed to make you feel better.”

Background Information about the Performance: The informant was given this folk medicine by his grandmother when he was younger. He still will make it if he is feeling sick even though his grandmother has passed away.

Context of Performance: The medicine was given when suffering from a minor illness like a cold or a sore throat.

Thoughts: I know of other folk medicines that involve giving hearty but sweet food or drinks when sick, such as toast with jam for a sore throat. The informant actually made this for me, as I was sick at the time, and it tasted very much as one might expect.