| From the sublime to the downright disgusting, since | | | | Really, it's enough to make your stomach turn, and |
| time immemorial man has believed in the aphrodisiac | | | | there could be few less sexy or appealing ways to |
| powers of certain foods. Many scholars deny the | | | | spend a date than with your head buried in the toilet |
| existence of such powers, yet the belief still clings, | | | | bowl bringing up stewed sparrow and ram's 'nads! So |
| perhaps because the idea of the aphrodisiac meal | | | | here are a few suggestions for supposedly |
| combines two of humanity's greatest pleasures - | | | | aphrodisiac foods that you might actually like to try on |
| eating and sex (although you could be forgiven for | | | | a date: |
| doubting the former in light of some of the things | | | | First up there's the oysters, rumour has it that the |
| served up in the name of seduction over the years). | | | | aphrodisiac attributes of the oyster are related to its |
| Croydon Hounslow looks at the history of aphrodisiac | | | | resemblance to the vagina in appearance and flavour. |
| foods, and hopefully suggests some practical ideas | | | | Make of that what you will, but oysters certainly are a |
| that you can try out on a date. | | | | sensuous food, slipping and slurping their way down |
| Aphrodisiac foods have a long history, the word | | | | the throat in an appealingly messy fashion. |
| aphrodisiac itself is derived from the name of the | | | | For the second course you could try a prawn cocktail |
| ancient Greek goddess Aphrodite, goddess of love, | | | | served in half an avocado. The name avocado comes |
| fertility and sexual rapture. In olden days, aphrodisiacs | | | | from the Aztec 'Ahuacuatl' which translates roughly as |
| were much sought after as promoters of fertility as | | | | 'testicle tree' (just don't think of goats!) and prawns and |
| well as sexual appetite, in light of this perhaps the link | | | | shrimps when cooked and peeled have an obvious |
| between foodstuffs and sex does not seem so | | | | phallic connotation. Alternatively, if you don't want to |
| tenuous. Sexual appetite and fertility are both linked to | | | | overdo the seafood, you could try a warm asparagus |
| nutrition; the better fed a person is, the more likely he | | | | salad garnished with quail eggs in place of this dish, I'm |
| or she is to be able to conceive successfully, whilst a | | | | sure I don't need to explain the underlying symbolism |
| malnourished person will be not only less fertile, but less | | | | there! |
| libidinous. It is perhaps hardly surprising then that, in | | | | For a main course, why not try pasta in a garlic and |
| ancient and older modern cultures where malnutrition | | | | truffle sauce? The rich, dark aroma and flavour of |
| was common and reproductive imperative for survival, | | | | truffles has strong connects with the earth mother |
| the belief that certain foods were linked to sexual | | | | fertility goddess mythology, and the heat generated by |
| appetite and fertility emerged. | | | | a liberal dose of garlic is supposed to engender a |
| Chief among these aphrodisiacs were foods with a | | | | different kind of heat elsewhere in the body. Obviously |
| strong symbolism of seed or semen, hence eggs, | | | | with garlic heavy recipes it is important to ensure that |
| bulbs, snails etc were favoured for their outward | | | | both parties indulge if the evening is to continue as |
| resemblance to testicles, but also aniseed, rocket | | | | planned! |
| seeds, sage and pistachio nuts were thought to | | | | And to finish? What else but chocolate? Chocolate |
| increase male potency. | | | | contains many substances which directly affect the |
| So far, so tasty (possibly apart from the snails | | | | brain, not least theobromine, which is similar to caffeine |
| depending on your tastes) and it does become | | | | (also thought to have aphrodisiac qualities). Sweet and |
| tempting to attribute the association of foods and sex | | | | spicy foods also have the effect of making you feel |
| to a simple parallel between corporeal pleasures; | | | | indulgent and pampered, which is the ideal state for |
| namely that food and sex are the things that we find | | | | seduction. The ideal dessert for your aphrodisiac |
| most enjoyable on a basic level, and that people with | | | | banquet then would be a rich, dark chocolate and |
| full bellies are better disposed to look around for other | | | | espresso mousse, bittersweet and tangy. Of course, |
| distractions, but wait! We haven't yet delved into the | | | | that is assuming that you make it to the dessert stage! |
| more stomach churning side of aphrodisiac 'foods'! | | | | In seriousness, it is highly doubtful that eating a meal like |
| Fancy a stewed sparrow, anyone? How about a spit | | | | the one described above will have any effect on your |
| of roasted skink (a type of lizard)? The powdered | | | | sexual prowess and/or fertility, but indulging yourself |
| rhino horn is very good tonight, sir, or for the | | | | and your partner can hardly be a bad thing as a |
| traditionalist there's always the perennial favourite - | | | | prelude to a night of passion. If you seriously want to |
| frog saliva! And yet, the list goes on, i the Kama Sutra | | | | improve your sex drive through diet, then eat plenty of |
| is to be believed then the acme of sexy cuisine is a | | | | fish and fresh vegetables and stick to a low alcohol, |
| ram's or goat's testicle boiled in sweetened milk! | | | | low cholesterol diet as part of a long term approach. |