Balls!

... of the aniseed variety.
Went to do some shopping and forgot to take cough sweets with me and started coughing by the market sweet stall.  Somebody told me that aniseed balls are good for a cough and I managed to splutter out my requirements to a very chatty stall holder.  Talking made me cough more and when he had finished weighing out the sweets he opened a jar and gave me a very strong cough sweet for free so we could carry on the conversation.  Service!