Food and sexuality have been associated in various ways throughout history. Certain foods & drinks — Aphrodisiacs — have a reputation for arousing sexual desire. We’ve picked out a few for a Valentine’s Day menu that will spice up your night.
Aphrodisiac ingredients
Pertaining to Aphrodite — the Greek goddess of love — Aphrodisiacs are known as ingredients boosting energy and increasing sexual desire.
While scientific studies have never found any direct links between these foods and heightened sexual arousal, we still happily present you some Aphrodisiac pairings.
The list of Aphrodisiacs foods has been widely discussed in science & history literature; in some cultures even animal testicles are consumed to increase sexual potency. Some traditional Chinese recipes use tiger testicles for their so-believed sexual powers.
Aphrodisiac Menu for a successful Valentine’s Day evening
We’ll go with an ancient list and try to keep it simple. We don’t want to serve you river snails, skink flesh (a type of lizard) or tiger. Our chosen Aphrodisiacs are pomegranate, oyster, chocolate, banana.
Pomegranate
The pomegranate owes its passion power to antioxidants stimulating the blood course and increasing sensitivity. It shares rose-floral aromas with Belgian Spring gin. Bombay East gin is a good replacer if you can’t find the Spring gin. Adding honey — used by the Egyptians as a honeymoon drink to “sweeten the marriage” in honeymoon times — completes this perfect love cocktail.
Pomegranate – honey – gin cocktail
preparations (1 serve)
- 4,5 cl gin (Spring Gin)
- 2 cl honey syrup ( 1/2 honey, 1/2 water)
- 3 cl pomegranate juice
- 3 cl apple juice
Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and serve in a chilled glass.
Oyster
Oysters are very nutritious, full of proteins and were documented as aphrodisiac food by the Romans in the second century. They share rose-floral aromas with lychee and rose.
Oyster – rose – coconut – lychee
Chocolate
Scientists ascribe possible aphrodisiac triggers in chocolate to two type of chemicals it contains.
One — tryptophan — is a building block of the brain chemical serotonin involved in sexual arousal. The other — phenylethylamine – is a stimulant related to amphetamine which is released when people fall in love.
The caramel-roasted notes of chocolate are shared with a roasted, baked steak.
White chocolate – steak – tarragon
preparations Chocolate-Béarnaise sauce
Replace the butter in your own béarnaise recipe by some white chocolate. The sweeter the chocolate, the less to be added. Melting the chocolate in a little bit of water will make it easy to mix.
Banana
Ancient scriptures tell the tale that after Adam and Eve succumbed to the apple they started covering their nudity with banana leaves rather than fig.
From a more practical standpoint bananas are rich in potassium and B vitamins, necessities for sex hormone production.
Sharing their clove-spicy notes, banana and nutmeg form a good aphrodisiac pairing. Nutmeg was highly prized by Chinese women as an aphrodisiac. In high quantities nutmeg can produce a hallucinogenic effect and spice up your evening.
Banana – nutmeg
Pomme d’Amour as an extra…
Tomato is not known as an Aphrodisiac, but this is a good Valentine’s Day treat. The classic candied apple also known as a ‘Pomme d’amour’ can be easily made with cherry tomatoes.
Tomato – sesam – hazelnut – lime – salt
preparations
Mix sesam seeds with chopped hazelnuts. Wash your cherry tomatoes and place them on a wooden stick. Make your caramel syrup by warming up sugar until light brown and take it off your stove.
Roll your tomatoes through the caramel and the sesam-hazelnut mix. Finish off with lime zest and sea salt.
