soupnancy

Aphrodisiac foods - Why not?

As I work on my upcoming Valentine’s menu, for inspiration beyond the local & wild ingredients, I like to delve into the world of supposedly ‘aphrodisiac’ foods for fun...  It’s such an amusing exercise - a delicious mix of history, romantic lore and impossibly complicated (not to mention incomplete) science.

We as a race have been interested in supplements that spice up our sex-life forever. There are foods that historically have been deemed to enhance fertility or sexual performance over the ages, for mythological, anecdotal, or culturally symbolic reasons. Sometimes who knows how they acquired their sexy status - because they resemble genitalia in some form, say phallic in design like a carrot or because directly associated with reproduction ex. eggs, caviar, seeds. All it took for the strawberry to be linked to love was to be red, heart shaped and dippable in chocolate.

More scientifically based are those foods considered aphrodisiac due to an important source of specific chemical compound(s) that promote or are involved in the production of sex hormones, that increase estrogen or testosterone levels (fenugreek) or because they have useful building blocks for the cause – the right fats, high in iron, vitB and K like (oysters, avocado, red meat). Even celery contains the plant equivalent of testosterone and increases pheromones!

The ancient Greeks worshiped the fig for all things sexual perhaps because of its organlike shape or that it is symbolically full of seeds. Turns out that the little fruit was a good choice – quite sensual thanks to its high concentration of anti-oxidants, flavonoids and polyphenols and iron - all conducive to getting it on.

Some foods can boost libido by being super nutritious, high in Zinc, packed with electrolytes, vitamins and minerals.  Like oysters, okra and coconut.

Others like coffee, garlic and chili pepper can rev up sex drive because they increase blood flow, energy, or simply make you feel good by spiking dopamine levels thus improving mood, and stamina. The Romans considered rocket (spicy greens) to be ‘hot’, maybe because they are full of vitamins and minerals? Some chemical compounds directly trigger dopamine release, but so does overall deliciousness, right?

Seems like anything that induces pleasure upping the endorphins, or that is super healthy and stimulating and/or that relaxes the body’s inhibition while stimulating the senses could do the trick!

Oysters really do top the list (and all bivalve mollusks) as they are high in Zinc which helps regulate sex hormones and increases dopamine, not to mention that an oyster is one of nature’s most complete, nourishing, energizing bites.

Almonds have long been a symbol of fertility in many cultures; pistachios contain 2% L-arginine, an amino acid involved in the regulation of vascular function and blood flow, and like all nuts and seeds, both are highly nutritious and full of the good fats used by the body for sex.

Infamously, red wine(resveratrol) and chocolate (phenethylamine) are favourites, packing powerful anti-oxidants that are anti-inflammatory and increase blood flow, on top of providing much pleasure to most people.

The Asian darling, a fruit called maca, is the most scientifically documented edible aphrodisiac, but there are other more common (to us) fruits & veggies that are surprisingly good candidates too!

Watermelon contains citrulline, which is like ‘Nature’s Viagra’, relaxing vessels that control sex drive.

Pomegranate, aka ‘the love apple’ is so high in antioxidants, increases testosterone, and stimulates appetite and mood.

Coconut is packed with the same electrolytes found in our blood, minerals like Ca, Mg, K among other minerals, providing an energy boost.

Avocado is full of Vit B6 and good fats important in sex hormone production.

Asparagus, not only phallic in design, but high in Vit.E, also does increase blood flow and oxygen.

Okra appears to be a real winner being rich in Mg (relaxant), iron, folate, zinc, vit B and nutrients.

The list of potential players goes on with many herbs and spices chemically offering up some kind of ambrosial hit such as basil, ginger, saffron, coriander, artichokes,..

And then of course, there’s that most natural of elixirs -honey, which was Hippocrates’ favourite prescription, and actually does increase testosterone levels on top of being sweet, energy and nutrient rich.

The neat thing is that science does back up many claims to a certain extent in theory, at least. In reality, the effects of any bite of food are miniscule in the big picture, as in you would have to eat so much chocolate or asparagus to register a significant difference.

However, there is an elephant in the room, and you guessed it, it is ... The placebo effect! Which is REAL and has more of an influence than any other physiological effect due to the chemical composition of the food.

In other words, some foods are technically better than others for a steamy dinner date, but basically, if you find a certain food or drink sexy, it can be!

That doesn’t mean we can’t crack the bubbly and play around with our food on Valentine’s Day, or anytime for that matter...

My cooking remains primarily about deliciousness and the quality of the ingredients - mostly local and wild, yet for this menu theme in winter, I do exceptionally bring in a few more exotic ingredients, so I have packed my menu with these said aphrodisiacs especially since they happen to be tasty too. Besides, I like to think that my guests with have all chances on their side for a sumptuous evening, and maybe even get lucky, haha..

https://jardinssauvages.com/menus/