Matcha and Ume Halls for Your Sore Throats

Thanks to a fairly constant post nasal drip around the changing of the seasons, even though I don't have what traditionally constitutes hay fever in Japan, I frequently have a sore throat around this time of year. This leads to coughing which leads to everyone from staring at me like I may or may not have the plague. Enter Halls lozenges. 

They offer an interesting selection of flavors here in Japan where you can find them in small rectangular boxes in health sections at the grocery store or drug stores all over. In addition to the more internationally recognizable options like lemon or orange, you can also find Japan specific options like green tea and ume plum. Even acerola makes an appearance sometimes, if you're into that kind of flavor. I seem to remember finding yuzu once as well. As a lover of sour sweets, I found these flavors especially delectable, especially in a functioning cough drop.

When I came to Japan, I was surprised by the lozenge selection. It seemed that sore throats were treated with candy. I can remember how horrified my students were when I brought Ricola cough drops from the import shop. In America, my family swore by these because they seemed to work on most of our sore throats and their flavor wasn't as awful as most proper medicine. My students and future husband all found them disgusting. Seeing what they use as over the counter cough suppressant, I wasn't so surprised.

Part of that reliance on a trustworthy cough drop stems from the problems with the American medical system. We couldn't afford to go to the doctor for less than a broken bone or pneumonia, so we found something we could afford and trusted in it. 

Halls was a brand that I had used at times as well, though I remember them being square, coming in a pack that was similar in size and shape to gum in stick form and exclusively in some variation of mint flavor.

I very much enjoy these interesting Japanese Halls flavors and find the product itself to be just as effective as ever. Here they are little triangles instead of squares and they seem smaller than the American squares, though I can't be sure if that is accurate as I haven't been able to compare the two variations in close proximity.

Unfortunately, I do have some issues with the packaging. I find myself a little bit annoyed that the boxes that they come in hold long packets that contain sets of four lozenges instead of having them individually packaged, as I may have see them back home.

Usually for me this means that I am going to wind up with one or two left in the bottom of the small, unsealable packet, ready to fall out and ruin the inside of my bag or creep toward the opening I'd folded over and stick to other things in my pocket. 

Still, if you need to soothe your throat and enjoy these kinds of flavors, this could be a good choice. Just eat four at once or bring a plastic baggy to put the remainder in while you wait to use them.