The magic of magic biscuits

It’s inevitable that changes in diet and climate from travelling around our planet will result in the occasional bout of Delhi belly.1 We’ve been very fortunate (and pretty careful) thus far, but when it happens, here’s how we deal with it..

Just as you’ll find dock leaves growing nearby to stinging nettles, we’ve found that there’s always a local cure nearby whenever we catch the Bengali bowels, and it is the simplest, plainest local biscuits you can find.

Bangladesh magic biscuits

Magic biscuits, this variety is native to Bangladesh and can be easily identified as each biscuit is embossed with the word ‘Bengal

You know the kind I mean, if we were at home in the UK it would be the Rich Tea biscuit or the Nice biscuit – high temperature baked, no extra fancy ingredients, fillings or frostings, just plain, simple, crispy biscuits.

In the few countries we’ve needed them, they’ve been very easy to find and after a couple of packets, they’ve set us right in a day or so2. After first discovering their powerful healing properties while suffering the Shanghai sh*ts in Hampi, southern India, we’ve referred to them ever since as magic biscuits.


1 Diarrhoea.
2 Note that it’s always a good idea to keep your fluid levels up regardless, but the dryness of the biscuits means we tend to drink more liquids such as water or tea than we’d normally do. Rehydration sachets are also a very good idea, nay, required if you find yourself squatting frequently to relieve the Saskatchewan squits. That’s the last of them. I promise.

2 thoughts on “The magic of magic biscuits

  1. Malcolm

    Thank you for the grand tour of your canals and how useful to know about the cure-all properties of the odd ‘rich tea’ equivalent! The one glaring omission is advice on how to keep loo rolls cool (presuming there is not always a ‘fridge or cooler to hand).
    Perhaps you are saving that for your next emission? (Ha! see what I did there?)
    Love ‘n Hugs
    mum & dad xx xx

    Reply
    1. Andrew Post author

      Yep, that’s a whole other post, and they definitely come in handy in Thailand and Bangladesh where we’ve found the food to be spicy hot!

      In lieu of a nice cold wad of tissue, the Asians use cold water and most bathrooms have an ingenious delivery contraption – imagine the lovechild of a bidet and a hosepipe.. the handheld bidet! I think I’m starting to prefer it.. :o) xx

      Reply

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