Traditional Korean "Feces Wine" Believed to Cure All Ailments

The recipe for Ttongsul, a cure-all medicinal drink believed to make cuts and bruises disappear, heal broken bones and cure epilepsy, is made from rice wine and the fermented feces of young children. (Photo : VICE)

Here's an extreme Asian "cure" that'll beat all other health-boosting remedies in terms of outlandishness. Ttongsul, an ancient Korean rice wine, may even top "virgin boy eggs"- a popular Chinese snack made of eggs boiled in the urine of prepubescent boys under the age of 10.

The recipe for Ttongsul, a cure-all medicinal drink believed to make cuts and bruises disappear, heal broken bones and cure epilepsy, is made from rice wine and the fermented feces of young children.

While Ttongsul has been in decline since the last half century, a few traditionalists have managed to keep the cultural beverage alive.

Reporters from VICE have tracked down Dr. Lee Chang Soo, a traditional Korean medicine doctor who claims to be one of the few people in Korea who knows how to make the bizarre beverage.

Dr. Soo claims that the beverage, which is made from the feces of children between the ages of four and seven, does not smell and is "pure", according to the Daily Mail. He also claims that the wine can prevent pain, and can heal people quicker than modern medicine.

"I feel sad that human feces is no longer used as traditional medicine," Dr. Soo told VICE.

The wine is brewed by fermenting water with feces. After a day, boiled rice and yeast is mixed in together. It is then kept at between 30 and 37 degrees Celsius for a week. Afterwards, it is strained and ready to drink.

TagsKorea, traditional medicine, feces wine, Asian remedies