Food Aphrodisiacs to Entice your Valentine
There is no better time than St Valentines to dip your taste buds into the wonderful world of food aphrodisiacs. Derived from the name Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of sensuality and love, these are believed to arouse or intensify sexual desire.
There are many variations of aphrodisiacs all over the world, from antlers and rhino horns to the Spanish fly beetle, but when spoiling your loved one, these would be sure to make them run a mile. A more romantic option is to cook for your partner using some of the following food suggestions, as all the ingredients are deemed to have aphrodisiac properties. To keep it simple, most of the ingredients will be available in your local supermarket or green grocers.
Breakfast
There is nothing quite like a loved one bringing you breakfast in bed as a romantic gesture. For an aphrodisiac packed start to the day, create a fresh fruit salad made with some of the following- cherries, apple, goji berries, apricots, water melon, strawberries, raspberries and mango. These are all considered to increase sexual appetite and are bursting with libido boosting properties.
Serve with a glass of pomegranate juice instead of regular fruit juice as it is not only considered to contain aphrodisiac properties, but has been shown to help those with erectile dysfunction.
Lunch
Preparing a delicious salad is easy, and you can add your choice of aphrodisiacs to the mix. You could also use many of these in a hot dish or a sandwich. Celery is considered to contain properties also found in male testosterone, tomatoes as known in France as the pomme d’amour or ‘apple of love,’ radishes are a divine aphrodisiac once used by Egyptian pharaohs because its spicy taste stimulates the palate, rocket repotedly eaten by the sexually potent God of Chaos Seth and toasted almonds or pine nuts- thought to trigger passionate thoughts among women.
Starter
Oysters are probably one of the most well known aphrodisiacs, and Casanova supposedly ate dozens of these a day. Although not to everyone’s taste, they contain a high level of zinc which is known to help produce sperm, increase testosterone and also increase libido in both men and women. Use these as a starter to really get your evening off to a head start.
Main course
Add some spice to your love life by sprinkling a few chilies into your favorite dish whilst cooking, as they are renowned for their libido boosting properties. If spices are not really to your taste then a little basil and garlic can be used instead. The taste of basil is known to stimulate sexual desire and increase the heart rate so if you want to get your partner in the mood by cooking, don’t leave it out. Many years ago, Tibetan monks were not allowed to enter the monastery if they had been eating garlic because of its reputation for stirring up passions, and it also increases blood flow. Don’t worry about putting off your partner with garlic breath, as long as both are eating it, the smell will not be noticed.
Side dish
In 19th-century France, bridegrooms were served three courses of asparagus at their prenuptial dinner as it was deemed to boost the sexual prowess of a man. Asparagus also is rich in vitamin E, which is a vitamin that stimulates production of our sex hormones.
If you would like to try it for yourself just serve with a drizzle of butter as a vegetable side dish to accompany your main course.
Dessert
End your lover’s feast with a sumptuous platter of strawberries and dark chocolate. Heat your chocolate until it’s beginning to melt, dip in your strawberries, place on a piece of grease proof paper and pop into the fridge to set. Alternatively, leave the chocolate runny and have a bowl of whipped cream ready. You can then feed strawberries to each other by hand as this is a sensual act in itself.
The reason for this is that chocolate contains anandamide which is a chemical that makes you feel good. More importantly it contains phenyl ethylamine, a love chemical that releases dopamine in the brain's pleasure centers. There was once a tradition of serving newlyweds cold strawberry soup to help promote the aphrodisiac of honeymoon romance, so these two served together are a winning combination.
Drink
Drop a strawberry cut in half into the bottom of a fluted glass and top up with champagne, for a pretty drink that will relax your loved one.
Alternatively you could make a warming, spicy wine. Similar in taste to mulled wine just pour a bottle of red wine into a saucepan, add cloves, cinnamon and a vanilla pod to taste. Gently simmer for 10 minutes, strain and serve in goblets. Not only is this simple to make but the wine, consumed moderately, will lower inhibitions and put your valentine in the mood for love. The cinnamon, vanilla and cloves have been shown to boost energy and increase blood flow to certain areas of the body and will really encourage the romance to flow.
There are many combinations you can use with the foods listed above or you can adapt them to suit your own taste and meal plans. Hopefully with this advice, you will in for a Valentine’s to remember.
