Gyeondyo-Bar - Gastro Obscura

Sweets

Gyeondyo-Bar

South Korea's grapefruit-flavored ice cream bar promises to help your hangover.

South Korea has a wide array of hangover-fighting products, ranging from drinks to soups to jellies. But few compare to the Gyeondyo-bar. Every part of the treat promises comfort, from its hot-pink color to its grapefruit-flavored ice cream, to its very name, which roughly translates to the “hang-in-there-bar.”

But the key ingredient in each Gyeondyo-bar lies inside its rosy exterior. The center of each pop contains frozen Hovenia dulcis juice. Also known as the “Oriental raisin tree,” the plant’s juice has a longstanding reputation as a hangover cure in traditional Chinese medicine, dating back to the Tang Dynasty’s Materia Medica. As for modern scientific backing, one study did find that hovenia dulcis juice relieved alcohol withdrawal symptoms in rats, but human studies are lacking.

Withme FS, a South Korean convenience store chain, released the Gyeondyo-bar in 2016. In a press release, the company said they created the sweet treat “to provide comfort to those who have to come to work early after frequent nights of drinking.”

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