This is the syrup of my childhood nightmares. I find the taste too sickly sweet to bear. However, it is a medicine and, as such, it’s not there to be enjoyed. I could not leave this syrup out of a book on Slavic remedies, because it was the main medicine that I was given as a child at the first sign of a sore throat – we were all given it! Many Poles still swear by the syrup’s effectiveness and plenty of people don’t even find it horrible any more, as they are so used to it. The lemon juice works to improve the taste and preserve it too. 

Note: This syrup is now recommended for children over three

Makes 1 X 250ml/9fl oz bottle