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Of all the cough drops devoured,
generic cherry is unsurpassed
By Whitni Webb
October 29, 2007 | Living the life of a middle class
college student has some disadvantages to be sure. But
besides the lack of money, sleep deprivation, difficult
work schedule, and a less than savory dwelling, there
is one other dilemma; the inability to get out and experience
things. To become an authority on something, anything,
one must have the capability to be subjected to it time
and time again. And sadly, the only thing I've had the
ability to experience these last few weeks is a nasty
cold, leaving me bedridden and vocally deprived.
And so, with a bit of humiliation, I admit that through
my years of familiarity with common colds, the occasional
strep throat, and a nasty bout of tonsillitis, I have
become quite the connoisseur of cough drops. Stored
away in my cabinets are many known brands like Ricola
and Halls, and the generic Western Family throat lozenges.
To untrained chops these would all taste the same, but
I beg to differ!
There are many flavors to be relished or loathed within
each brand name. Ricola boasts an array of not only
the classic cough drops, but ones that are sugar-free,
herbally enhanced and enriched with vitamin C. While
that's all fine and dandy, their flavors leave something
lacking. Original Herb and Honey-lemon with Echinacea
both combine syrupy sweetness with the dreadfully bitter,
each sensation competing with one another. The excessively
flavorful lozenges also seem to have little effect when
it comes to suppressing a cough or soothing a throat.
Perhaps it is the lack of menthol the brand boasts so
heavily about that is the cause of this.
And yet it isn't the overabundance of flavor, nor
the lack of comfort cough drops are supposed to bring,
that aggravates me the most about this brand. It is
the shape and texture of the original. Coarse and decidedly
irregular in shape, it can hardly sit in your mouth
for more than a minute. That's not a lot of help when
it comes to bedtime.
Halls has a fine array of flavors, some quite palatable,
others revolting. The superior lozenges of the brand
are the classic Cherry and Mentho-lyptus. Cherry, being
wispily fruity, not overly pungent, and balanced with
the Menthol can be quite a treat. And I find the brand
overall quite effective, stifling my cough for at least
an hour in between lozenges. The Mentho-lyptus tastes
nothing of eucalyptus, and honestly lacks a tangible
flavor, but is especially cool on the tongue and the
back of the throat. The taste does not linger in your
mouth, another good quality if you are inclined to eat
quickly after.
Unfortunately, the brand also includes the non-mentholated
Breezers, Cool Berry and Tropical Chill. When my Mother
brought me these home they sounded like they could be
delectable, but one pop in my mouth told a different
story. Tropical Chill combined tangy citrus fruit with
what tasted like a cool mint. Not pleasant. The Cool
Berry did the same, but added an objectionable tartness
into the mix. And once again, the shape fails me; cubed.
It refuses to sit in one's mouth on its own, making
it difficult to not crunch down on and get it over with.
In all of my sickness, I find my favorite lozenge
to be the generic Western Family Cherry cough drop with
menthol (I happen to have one in my mouth as I'm typing).
Simplicity is often the best choice, and with the flavor
of cherry barely discernable, the menthol pleasant,
chill and calming, this lozenge is in it for the long
haul. And its shape is most appealing, a small oval
which can fit cozily between my jaw and my cheek I can
slurp to my heart's content, be it day or night.
NW
MS |
