10 Foods From Around The World To Eat When You Catch A Cold

For preventing the cold, too!

It's cold and flu season, which means it's time to stock up on remedy foods. In the United States, that means classic chicken noodle soup:

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Chicken noodle soup is an American tradition for when you get sick, or for when you're just feeling cruddy. But what are some other traditional recovery foods that people eat in other countries?

1. In Japan, for example, they would eat rice porridge:

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Rice porridge, also known as okayu, is what you would eat when you feel like you are coming down with a cold in Japan. It's very mild, hearty, and easy to digest.

2. Samgyetang from Korea:

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Without much seasoning, a whole chicken is stuffed with sticky rice, garlic, dates, pine nuts, and other medicinal herbs, then stewed. Be careful about including ginseng though. It could make you feel worst if you have a fever.

3. Cauliflower soup from Norway:

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A creamy soup simmered with cauliflowers, milk, and vegetable broth. Sounds like it would be great on a cold day!

4. Borscht from Russia:

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A standard dish in Russia and Eastern Europe, but especially comforting when you have a cold. Borscht is a sour-ish soup made from beets and vegetables.

5. Kedgeree from India and Pakistan:

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A rice and bean porridge cooked with turmeric powder, cumin seeds, garlic, and ginger. Sounds like it would warm you up quickly!

6. Garlic honey from Hungary:

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A simple dish made from grated garlic mixed with honey. It is eaten with a spoon, and in very small bites (for obvious reasons). 😵 😵 😵

7. Toast with Vegemite from Australia:

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Vegemite is a salty, brown paste that most might consider the national food of Australia. It's so popular that Aussies even eat it when they're feeling ill.

8. Fish porridge from Singapore:

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It's similar to Japanese rice porridge, but the Singapore-style porridge has thinly sliced white fish and ginger in it, and then topped with soy sauce and green onions.

9. Bilberries from Finland:

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Nope! Not a typo. Bilberries, which grow in Finnish forests, are similar to blueberries. They are highly nutritious, and many people eat them in soups and drinks.

10. Pastina from Italy:

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Pastina is made up of very tiny pasta noodles. It is cooked in chicken broth or vegetable soup to make something like an Italian version of porridge.