Ricola

As a kid I would watch dad remove the yellow lid off the squat paper canister of Ricola Swiss Herb Candy and wonder why anyone would eat black sweets. As I grew older, dad offered me a taste, and though I was never a fan, I did grow to identify the taste and perhaps even appreciate the complexity of mixing up herbs for a efficacious yet pleasant tasting candy.

These days I rarely see the old dark brown hard candies. Mostly on the shelves are the pastilles which both Kit and I abhor for their tacky consistency and the layer of slime which develops when you suck the gum-based bullet. The hard candy in their small boxes are still a better representation of the brand's products, although the dark brown candy is not among the variants.

The cranberry variant is not a throat easer, so pick the blue ones for relief.

A recent Guardian sale at IPC in Mutiara Damansara saw these Ricola boxes going for RM3 each. I bought a few, doubling up on the extra strong ones for Kit's throat tickles. All are sugar free, and taste good. However, the minty ones are the most effective in assisting with the ahems.

The other fruity flavours like the cranberry does nothing for the elevation of coughs and sore throats. They are best relegated to mouth fresheners for those, who, like me, sing for a church congregation at the crazy hour of 6.45am!