A secret opera recipe that treats sore throats

If you have a sore throat, try this concoction.

The recipe comes from Mel Braun, an associate professor in the U of M’s  Desaultels Faculty of Music and the music director of the faculty’s opera theater.

One tablespoon apple cider vinegar
One tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

“Mix this all up with a little bit of warm water in a cup and shoot it back like a hit of tequila,” Braun says.  “Initially, you’ll feel a spicy burn in your throat, which very quickly turns into a sensation of relief, as the cayenne and ginger open up all the capillaries in your throat and get your circulation going into high gear, always a good way of fighting a virus.”

Don’t do this more than a couple of times a day unless you have a cast-iron intestinal tract, he advises.

“While this is a bit like the Buckley’s awful taste idea, it really feels great and promotes quicker recovery.”

So, you think you’re ready to sing opera now?