something (such as a food, drink, or drug) that causes or increases sexual desire
It’s that time of the year again! We’re all looking for funky ways to “get in the mood”. Food lovers- turn to aphrodisiacs, which are said to increase your sexual desire. The cause? For various reasons. Heat tends to elevate your heart rate and increase blood flow to… we’ll just say extremities. Certain aromas tend to evoke desires. And then there’s some foods that are shaped just so- no explanation needed on those.
Credit: Alexa Lampasona
Credit: Alexa Lampasona
Besides the usual suspects such as oysters, champagne and chocolate, bet you didn’t know some of these other foods are touted as aphrodisiacs.
- Basil- stimulates sex drive and increases fertility
- Cardamom- increases blood flow from high levels of cineole
- Chai Tea- the spice blend helps keep the blood flowing
- Chili Peppers- the heat increase heart rate and circulation
- Honey- pollination is a symbol of procreation, and it has levels of boron that regulate hormone levels
- Licorice- the aroma stimulates arousal
- Pine Nuts- high levels of zinc increase sexual potency in men
- Watermelon- relaxes blood vessels and improves circulation
You'll find many restaurants adding aphrodisiacs to their menus for Valentine's Day. Cook's Warehouse is teaching an Aphrodisiacs for your Valentine cooking class on February 10. Serpas will feature "sexy specials" with off-menu aphrodisiac delights like oysters and jalepeño mignonette and crispy jumbo crab.
But Chef Nick Leahy of Saltyard is going all-out with a 4-course aphrodisiac dinner. We asked Leahy more about his inspiration.
Well, obviously as it's Valentines Day, aphrodisiacs were a natural theme, but Saltyard solidified the ALL aphrodisiac theme while I was telling my partners a funny story from earlier in my career. I was asked to do a bridal shower for a friend of my wife's that was themed around cooking with aphrodisiacs for newlyweds to "keep it sexy". So, I develop this whole menu and talk for the bridal shower about aphrodisiacs and the different ways they affect your body and subliminal messages they send to plant those type of thoughts. It was a lot of fun, but probably one of the more embarrassing moments of my career. For this menu, we aimed to have at least three aphrodisiacs per dish, but also wanted food that was a lot of fun to eat.
Credit: Alexa Lampasona
Credit: Alexa Lampasona
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