When it comes to illnesses, we Lankans think that we know it all.
Okay, that might be a bit far fetched, but, if the family you come from is anything like mine, chances are likely that you wouldn't be going to the doctors unless you're positively on your deathbed, or you've got your term test coming up.
And one might wonder why we Lankans are so "reckless". But, the honest truth is that it's not that we're truly reckless, we're just a lot better prepared by our trustee home remedies to help us make the journey of going one more day without having to visit the doctor.
Kanda /soup
Kiri Kanda or Buth Kanda, it matters not. Sickness means simmering down every food item that you like right down to just toast, kanda and soup. And if you're stuck with caretakers who gasp at the concept of wheat flour, you're bound to be stuck with a variety of these until you gain the ability to make your own food again.
Samahan
Image Credits: kandycastle.com
There isn't anything that can't be cured with the absolute deadly combination of the power of a panadol and 2 packets of Samahan and you know it. Whether it be just a common cold from you getting wet in the rain or Corona, chances are likely that you've gotten at least 5 packets of Samahan in your system before the day has ended.
Thambung Hodi
Image Credits: Anoma's Kitchen
Essentially a mix of a bunch of spices with water that's supposed to be eaten with rice. To those of you who haven't seen it, thambung hodi looks like mud water, but in fact, it's quite delicious.
Your grandparents (or mine) idea of the ideal solution for when your kid is sick and has no appetite, Thambug Hodi is the cure.
Panadol
Image Credits: panadol.lk
For most of us, our first instinct when you feel like you're getting sick is to get yourself 2 panadols and act like everything is okay. And it doesn't really matter whether someone tells you that it isn't good for your system if you've got a pain somewhere in your body from head to toe, Panadol is every Lankans way to go and there's no denying it.
Marmite
9/10 Sri Lankans love Marmite and that is a fact.
As a part of that rare 10 percent who absolutely detests Marmite, I can guarantee that one of the worst parts of getting sick is the part where you admit to your mother that you have no appetite. And in that case, she will either ask you what your heart is calling for or, a more likely scenario where she'll go to the kitchen and get some marmite toast and expect you to suck it up and stuff your teary-eyed self with it.
Siddhalepa
When it comes to rubs, there isn't anything like Siddhalepa to any Sri Lankan. From leeches to wounds to backaches to headaches and the list goes on, Siddhalepa has been our saving grace in many an occasion.
Pas Panguwa
Combining the efforts of what Sinhala medicinal shops are made of, Pas Panguwa is every mother's go-to when it comes to curing an illness.
Bitter, sweet and having an after taste to get you gagging, a lot of us tend to wait till the whole thing cools down before taking it like a shot. And while the whole point of you drinking it hot goes away, what matters is the fact that the herbs are now in your body and is probably fighting whatever it is that's made you sick, as we speak.
Semolina
One of the more favourable options on our list, it isn't often that your guardian will bestow such luxury on such a time of depression such as this, but there are moments when they do. Which is essentially why it even made it to this list.
Lime
Lime is one of the best things ever. Whether it be for when you have a stomach ache or whether you've got a fever or a runny nose or anything of this kind, lime, accompanied by the likes of plain tea, salt or Krimiraja Guli, lime is that one sort of go-to that no one really complains about.
