I interviewed my 94 year old grandfather about things that his parents taught him growing up. He is a man that has had many experiences throughout his life but one thing that brought him fondness was something called a Gogel Mogel which is something his mother would give him when he was feeling sick. This is the first time I have ever heard about it but apparently it is something that has been passed down in his family for generations.

Collector: “Is there anything significant that your parents taught you as a child or throughout your life?”

Informant: “Hmmm.. well there was one thing that my mom would do for me whenever I would get sick. She would always make me something called a Gogel Mogel. She would have a hot cup of tea or milk, add honey, and then crack a raw egg into the cup. Every time I would get a cold or the flu, she would make me drink this.”

Collector: “How did it taste?”

Informant: “It was bad at first, but after the fifth or sixth time I actually started to like it.”

This was very interesting to me because this is a remedy for a cold I had never heard before. My grandfather ended up making me one and it was surprisingly refreshing. The drink became known by this name among Jews during the 17th century in Central Europe. It is actually even mentioned in the Shulchan Arukh which is the Jewish code of law where it states that one can eat sweet syrup and a raw egg to sooth one’s voice. It is a drink still served in many Jewish households and is still popular in Eastern European countries such as Poland.