Is CAVIAR the ultimate hangover cure? As revellers nurse their sore heads following a night of New Year’s Eve celebrations, FEMAIL investigates whether sturgeon roe holds the key to quelling your post-partying sickness

As Britons up and down the country wake up with sore heads this morning after ringing in the new year in style last night, some people might be wishing they hadn’t reached for that last glass of bubbly.

Despite significant advancements in technology and science over the last few decades as modern medicine achieves things once thought impossible, it seems unfair to those of us who enjoy a drink that there still doesn’t seem to be a universal cure for a good old-fashioned hangover.

Perhaps it’s a case of different things working for different people – with some people opting to ‘sweat out’ the hangover with exercise, while others praise the benefits of extra hydration the morning after the night before. 

And, from time to time, a new novel hangover cure is touted that claims to dust off the cobwebs and soothe that aching head. 

The latest trendy item said to help cure a hangover is TikTok’s favourite accessory, caviar, with experts hailing its benefits in protecting liver and providing a healthy dose of vitamin B12. 

But does it really work? FEMAIL sent reporter Maria Okanrende out for a night on the town to investigate whether or not expensive fish eggs can really make you feel better the morning after a heavy night… 

Why is caviar touted as a hangover cure? 

Caviar is a luxury delicacy that is traditionally composed from the unfertilised eggs, technically known as oocytes, of Sturgeon fish. 

According to scientists, caviar can ease the symptoms of a hangover due to its high concentration of vitamin B12.

When we consume too much alcohol, our body is sometimes drained of essential nutrients and vitamins, including B12, which plays a major role in the functioning of our brain and nervous systems and aids our bodies to get over hangovers.

The salt-cured delicacy is also rich in choline, an essential nutrient in the body usually thought of as a B-complex vitamin, and which contributes to the maintenance of normal liver function. 

A healthy liver is crucial as the overconsumption of alcohol over extended periods of time can cause irreversible liver damage.

Caviar is also touted as a hangover remedy due to its high content of acetylcholine (a neurotransmitter believed to play a key role in memory retention) which lines the stomach and increases the body’s tolerance to alcohol.

Last week it was reported that the expensive food product has seen a 76% surge in sales in recent months after it became a TikTok obsession.

Gen Z revellers around the world are showing off their prowess by indulding in the caviar ‘bump’ trend – in which they put a pile of the roe onto the back of their hand and licking it.

The night before… 

So back to my night… it all kicked off at the corner of Berkeley Street in London’s bustling West End at around 8:30pm. 

Although I knew I had work the next day, I threw caution to the wind and came ready for an eventful night dressed in a black blazer, silver sequined trousers and yellow pointed heels. I dashed my winter coat behind – after all I would have alcohol to heat me up.

The stylish venue was decorated with the brightest of Christmas trimmings, including tinsel and festive lights, and its interior was just as welcoming.

Before reporting for duty, we were treated to a tour of the building, and shown both the main restaurant and the room that was to be our home for the night – the Nipperkin bar.

The petite room was nestled in a quiet spot on the ground floor and located just beneath the restaurant. It was surprisingly cosy, and featured a flirtaciously dimming atmosphere, of course apt for a night of drinking or perhaps a date.

After a detailed introduction from host Cleo, assistant bar manager Eugene Kourtoulla and head bartender Giuseppe, we were handed the menu and without hesitation got straight down to business.

I had my eye on champagne, after which I was recommended a glass of Furleigh, an English rose sparkling wine from Dorset. It was surprisingly smooth and thankfully not too dry, prompting me to down two glasses in quick succession – well quick for me.

After 30 minutes it was on to the bar’s varied selection of cocktails which extended to over three pages of the menu. First up was Sloes and Brambles, a delightful concoction of gin, spiced blackberry spirit, sloes – also known as blackthorns – and fermented brambles.

I must admit, as a gal that usually can only stomac one drink, and possibly two on a special occasion – I was already feeling woozy and knew I was fast approaching my limit.

However, I had work to do and so I ploughed on, right into a glass of the healthy-sounding Celery and Cucumber. Inside this one were Suffolk celeries, cucumbers, Scottish red peppers and wine.

I accompanied this with a Fig and Honey; a delightfully sweet rum, fig and soda mixture, and to finish off, I downed a Plum and Peach cocktail – and through it all, I didn’t eat a thing.

Just before midnight, we called it quits, said our goodbyes and walked (slowly) into an Uber, where I was reportedly out like a log for the rest of the one-hour ride home.

The morning after…

The medical term for a hangover is ‘Veisalgia’ and this term originates from the Norwegian and Greek words: ‘uneasiness following debauchery’ (kveis) and ‘pain’ (algia). No words have rung truer.

One may assume – at least my pal did – that judging by my deep slumber at the back of the cab, I’d be set for the night. In fact my friend was so worried I’d snooze through my alarm she sent a text to wake me up right on the nose at 6am.

Unfortunately, this was not my reality and instead I sprang up less than an two hours later at around 2 am feeling like I’d been deprived of water for all of eternity. 

Luckily, I keep a bottle of water by my bedside, but after consuming 500 ml in one trot, my mouth still felt drier than the Nyiri desert.

Before I even had the chance to further quench my thirst, I immediately grabbed my head to try and prevent what felt like a mini human punching the back of my forehead. Of course I later realised it was a pounding headache.

Confused, tired and I must say annoyed, I slowly crept towards my bedroom light and fumbled around for the light switch. This turned out to be the biggest mistake of my night, and not the six drinks I had downed in quick succession merely hours beforehand. 

The beaming light somehow made me feel dizzy and confused, at which point symptoms of nausea and body aches had begun to set in.

After resuming the comfort of darkness deep  beneath my blanket, it was there I lay hungover and intensely hungry – but incapable of moving – until  6am.

I somehow managed to freshen up, drop my daughter to school and hop on a train to work, albeit without breaking a smile and feeling somehow tortured.

The verdict

To help me finalise my experiment, I’ve indulged in a few spoonfuls of caviar from King’s Fine Food – British caviar specialists appointed the Royal Warrant in 2021 by deference to the late Queen Elizabeth.

A 50g can of King’s Fine Food Oscietra Caviar comes in at £83.45.

I must add that I normally relish the chance to indulge in the salty delicacy, and I absolutely adore its soft, deliciously tender nature.

However, this morning as you can imagine I wasn’t in the mood to eat anything. Oddly I felt ravenously hungry, yet the thought of consuming any type of food moved me to purge.

I was adamant that this would be the perfect time to conduct the test, so I could clearly decipher any immediate changes in my symptoms.

At around 10:30am, barely 12 hours after my night of revelry, I sat down dinner spoon in hand with a serving of some of the finest British caviar fresh from the fridge

Both hesitant and curious, I steadily plodded around the tin while ruminating for a moment before scooping some up and placing it in my mouth. I first noticed how shocked I was to savour the taste after initially feeling repulsed.

By the second mouthful, my eyes slowly widened, adjusting to what I had previously thought were painstakingly overly bright lights.

I consumed two more helpings and then set off back to the office to monitor the outcome of my experiment.

I was pleasantly surprised… 

By lunchtime, I was not yet quite the loveable Maria we all know, but I did feel more human and less like an unuseful thing. 

Staring at the computer screen for long periods of time no longer annoyed me, meanwhile my energy levels had perked up and I could actually commit to my working day without much intrusion.

Depending on your alcohol tolerance level, results of this experiment may vary, but for me, it’s safe to say that the luxury treat fast-tracked my recovery and I felt 70 per cent hangover-free.