Photo by Flickr user julochka. CC BY-NC 2.0
Across countries and cultures, grandparents hold a special place in all of our hearts. They're a well of wisdom and love to whom we often turn in times of need.
The advice they offer, however, is hardly universal. Ask 10 different grandmas around the world for a remedy to heal the tickle in your throat, and you might get 10 different answers, depending on the time and place in which they grew up and their personal experiences, beliefs and idiosyncrasies.
Similarly, the Global Voices community is a diverse bunch with a wealth of ideas and experiences. So we'd like to ask all of GV's lovely contributors:
What remedies would your grandma recommend?
These can be prescriptions for everything from physical ailments to a bout of bad luck, and their suggestions don't have to be a recipe (although recipes are very welcome). Whatever your grandma (or grandpa) would recommend to fix an unwanted situation, we'd like to hear it.
We'll collect all the responses in a post and publish on the Global Voices main site. The deadline is Tuesday, October 20.
To contribute, please share a few lines in a comment below this post, explaining:
- Where you live (city, country)
- Where your grandmother is/was from
- Your grandmother's remedy
- What it was meant to fix
- Your experience with the remedy (did it work?)
- A link to a Creative Commons-licensed or public domain photo of the remedy, if possible
Let's see what GV can learn from the savvy of our grandmas!
16 comments
My paternal grandmother has a “all problems solved in one” remedy for any pain, or healthy issue. Put a mixture of turmeric and egg yolk on it!
I live in London, born in Pakistan. My grandparents migrated from Kapurthala, India in 1947. My waddi-ami (paternal grandmother in Punjabi) was from Jalandhar, India – the oldest city in Punjab. I grew up in a joint-family in our ancestral house with 17 first-cousins, aunts and uncles and grandparents, drinking all-kind-of strange herbal teas and eating organic food.
Waddi-ami’s remedy for menstrual cramps was/is: a warm glass of milk with turmeric and an organic raw egg. Trust me it worked then and it works even today.
Another remedy which I used after giving birth to Umaima and vouch for, is a natural remedy for postpartum pain. Warm half teaspoon of desi ghee (organic), add a pinch of turmeric (freshly grounded at home), then add full cream milk, almonds and dates- bring it to a boil and drink it hot. It helps the cramping that comes with the contracting of the uterus back to its normal size.
Thank you so much, everyone! These are fantastic. :)