It's said to cure asthma, bronchitis, sluggishness and a low sex drive. And it's made from frogs.
Yes, frogs from Peru's Lake Titicaca are the main ingredient in a juice blend that some Andean cultures claim as a type of wonder drug.
To make the mix, which is sold in Peru's Andes and also at some stands in the capital of Lima, vendor Maria Elena Cruz grabs a frog from a small aquarium, then kills it by beating it on the counter of her stand.
She peels off the skin and drops it into a blender with carrots, the Peruvian maca root and honey. The juice is a greenish color and Cruz serves it in glasses to her customers.
“Frog juice is good for anemia, bronchitis, bones, the brain, fatigue, stress,” Cruz told the Associated Press. “It is mostly children, adults, persons with anemia, respiratory issues and sometimes tuberculosis” who come to her stand, she said.
Do we need to tell you there's no scientific evidence that confirms the frog juice's benefits?
But scientists do know the frogs used in the concoction, the Telmatobius culeus species locally known as the Titicaca water frog, are listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
