I caught a cold and was coughing violently throughout the week. The cough drops from the pharmacy were not working. When I was iMessaging my mom, she sent me a recipe that’s suppose to stop coughing. My mom said when she was young, her mother would make this thing that’s supposed to help her with her coughing. As she recalled, the recipe actually worked for her. We were chatting in Chinese so the following is only rough translation. 

Conversation:

”

Mom: How’s your cold?

Me: Everything else is fine… Except I feel like I’m coughing out my lungs 🙁

Mom: You’re still coughing?? Didn’t I told you to get something from pharmacy?

Me: I did, the cough drops were not working. I think I’m having bronchitis again.

Mom: You should go get some prescription medicine not cough drops.

Me: I know, I need to make appointment first though, and it’s Friday…

Mom: Try some boiled pears with crystal sugar; or you could try egg pudding boiled with crystal sugar and some oil.

Me: ???

Mom: Beat one raw egg, stir it with some crystal sugar and a little bit soy oil. Do not add any water. Put them in a bowl and steam it. Eat it every night before sleep. This is the recipe your grandmother used to make when we [she and her brothers] were coughing. Try it, I hope this helps.

Me: Where can I get soy oil though… 

Mom: If you can’t find soy oil you can use olive oil instead, I think.

Mom: Try it, and drink more warm water!!

”

Thoughts:

I personally didn’t think this recipe would work, because logic tells me egg and crystal sugar with soy or olive oil would not help my coughing in any way. I did try the recipe though, because the coughing made me desperate. My coughing did get better days later, but since I also got prescription drugs on Monday, I’ll never know if it’s the recipe or the doctor’s drugs… or the placebo effect.