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Chinese beer + Sichuan food = really bad headache?
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cdn_in_bj -

It has happened to me twice recently where I'll have a bit of beer at lunch and end up with a
really bad headache later in the afternoon that lasts until the next morning. And it's not like
I've gotten myself drunk - we're talking one big bottle of Yanjing, so it's not even enough to get
a good buzz going.

At first I thought that maybe there was methanol in the beer or that I had somehow become alergic
to alcohol, but after some analysis I wonder if's a combination of the beer plus what I ate. Both
times I did have fish-boiled-in spicy-oil, so could it have been a bad reaction between the beer
and Sichuan pepper? It wouldn't surprise me if there's something about the Sichuan pepper as it
was banned in Canada for a long time.

Has anyone else experienced this? I have a friend coming to visit me next week, and it would
really suck to not be able to drink!



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muyongshi -

Never! I don't think it has a connection as I have spicy (and do I love my spice) Sichuan food
everyday and more often than not it is accompanied by a nice cold one (well I imagine it's cold
more than it really is).

Maybe you are just turning Chinese and get drunk after one or two small cups










chabuduo -

Yeah I've never had a problem with Sichuanese food and alcohol. Although a drink in the middle of
the day is best followed by a glass or two of water and a short nap.

That being said I've never experienced bad headaches after just one big bottle. Could it be that
the particular restaurant you visited used way too much MSG in their food and you had a reaction
to that? But if that was the case you'd be getting headaches after every meal no matter where you
ate.

Could be that the beer was fake.










Colossus -

You sure it wasn't the fish? Everyone I've spoken to here says to stay away from the fish.










imron -

I don't drink much, but I've noticed that sometimes I'll also get similar headaches from some
Chinese beers. Again this is from only drinking small amounts, like for example sharing half a
bottle with someone or from one glass of draught. Yanjing was one in particular that I noticed it
would happen with, and now, on the occasions where I'm likely to have a drink, I'll avoid Yanjing
beer if I can help it.










pandaface -

Maybe you got fake one










trevelyan -

Different restaurants?










Tommi -

It could be because of 香菜 (coriander), it's happened a couple times to me before figuring out
the source, so now I always ask for no 香菜 in anything. I really don't drink any alcohol, so
that couldn't be the reason either. And there's really nothing wrong with sichuanese or the fish
here, you can rule out those reasons too.










flameproof -

If it's not an allergic reaction it could be:

You are sensitive to that brand of beer (I am very sensitive to the wrong beer and get a terrible
headache. However, Yanjing has quite a high standard. But I presume your Yanjing is "local". Or
maybe it was fake, Yanjing is a famous brand and certainly gets faked in China too.

You are sensitive to MSG (I get an itchy skin with too much).

Something in the food. Coriander is a little unlikely since it's common all over China. Typical
for Sichuan, and only there, they often add "Flower Pepper", that spicy numbing stuff.










imron -



Quote:

It could be because of 香菜 (coriander), it's happened a couple times to me before figuring out
the source, so now I always ask for no 香菜 in anything

Not for me, I love coriander. Anyway, as for the headaches, it was probably just the formaldehyde.
Sure it's a carcinogen, but formaldehyde levels in Chinese beer are lower than WHO standards,
which makes it all ok












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