Aniseed                             
A very popular aphrodisiac with many culinary uses. It has been used as an aphrodisiac since the Greeks and the Romans, who believed aniseed had special powers. Sucking on the seeds is said to increases your desire.

Asparagus
Given it's phallic shape, asparagus is frequently enjoyed as an aphrodisiac food. Feed your lover boiled or steamed spears for a sensuous experience. The Vegetarian Society suggests "eating asparagus for three days for the most powerful affect".

Almond
A symbol of fertility throughout the ages. The aroma is thought to induce passion in a female. Try serving Marzipan (almond paste) in the shapes of fruits for a special after-dinner treat.

Arugula
Arugula or "rocket" seed has been documented as an aphrodisiac since the first century A.D. This ingredient was added to grated orchid bulbs and parsnips and also combined with pine nuts and pistachios. Arugula greens are frequently used in salads and pasta.

Basil (sweet basil)
Is said to stimulate the sex drive and boost fertility. It is also said to produce a general sense of well being for body and mind.

Caviar
Sturgeon eggs contain a large amount of vitamins and phosphorous. Try caviar with vodka for a real experience!

Chili
With a large amount of vitamin C, red, green and Cayenne pepper chilies stimulate circulation, which is why it is considered to be a potent aphrodisiac.
Spicy foods have long been considered to be sexual stimulants. There is some scientific truth to this claim in that foods that are heavily spiced often contain capsaicin, the active ingredient in cayenne pepper. Eating capsaicin can cause a physiological response -- increased heart rate and metabolism, sometimes even sweating -- that is quite similar to the physical reactions experienced during sex

Chocolate
The Aztecs referred to chocolate "nourishment of the Gods". Chocolate contains chemicals thought to effect neurotransmitters in the brain and a related substance to caffeine called theobromine. Chocolate contains more antioxidant (cancer preventing enzymes) than does red wine. The secret for passion is to combine the two. Try a glass of Cabernet with a bit of dark chocolate for a sensuous treat or let us temp you with our recipe for Chocolate Espresso Pots de creme.

Carrots
Another good reason to eat carrots--believed to be a stimulant to the male. The phallus shaped carrot has been associated with stimulation since ancient times and was used by early Middle Eastern royalty to aid seduction. High vitamins and beta-carotene. Perhaps a justification for a piece of carrot cake?

Celery
Good old Apium graveolens has quite the reputation. The Swedish cookbook author, C.E. Hagdahl wrote: "Celery is suspected to be somewhat sexually exciting or even straightforward arousing." Forget those phenol sprays that are supposed to make you more attractive to the opposite sex. Celery contains androsterone, a powerful male hormone that researchers believe is released through sweat and attracts females. This is a great way to get your recommended daily allowance of greens boys! Celery has a long history of use as an aphrodisiac. It contains vitamins A, C, B, P and minerals. It is excellent for the muscles and liquefies the blood. But most celebrated as an aphrodisiac are the celery seeds. Crush them to spice bread or an oil-vinegar salad dressing.

Coffee
Caffeine is a well-know stimulant but remember, too much and it becomes a depressant. Serve small amounts of rich dark coffee in special little demitasse cups. Coffee stimulates both the body and the mind so partake of a little in preparation for an "all-nighter".

Coriander (Cilantro seed)
The book of The Arabian nights tells a tale of a merchant who had been childless for 40 years and but was cured by a concoction that included coriander. That book is over 1000 years old so the history of coriander as an aphrodisiac dates back far into history. Cilantro was also know to be used as an "appetite" stimulant.

Cucumbers
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize why these cool vegetables are considered to be an aphrodisiac. The Chicago Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation found that women become aroused by the scent of cucumbers.

Farro
It is the original grain from which all others derive, and fed the Mediterranean and Near Eastern populations for thousands of years; somewhat more recently it was the standard ration of the Roman Legions that expanded throughout the Western World. Rich of Selenium and vitamins this ancient grain has great Aphrodisiace properties... strenght and honor!

Figs
An open fig is thought to emulate the female sex organs and traditionally thought of as sexual stimulant. A man breaking open a fig and eating it in front of his lover is a powerful erotic act. Serve fresh Black Mission figs in a cool bowl of water as it is done in Italy and be sure to eat with your fingers!

Eggs
Chicken eggs are said to be a good aphrodisiac if eaten raw before sex.
Remember the famous Italian Zabbaione...

Garlic
This pungent member of the lily family has been used to treat a wide variety of illnesses from the common cold to heart disease. Garlic has been used as an aphrodisiac by the Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Chinese, and Japanese. Garlic mixed with lard used externally to bring on an erection has been suggested by a professor at USC medical school. (Do not try this around a hungry German Sheppard.) Garlic stimulates the appetite, awakens the senses and makes food taste great!

Honey
Many medicines in Egyptian times were based on honey including cures for sterility and impotence. Medieval seducers plied their partners with Mead, a fermented drink made from honey. Lovers on their "Honeymoon" drank mead and it was thought to s "sweeten" the marriage.

Liquorice (licorice)
The Chinese have used licorice for medicinal purposes since ancient times. The essence of the Glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice) plan, glycrrhizin, is 50 time sweeter than sugar. Chewing on bits of licorice root is said to enhance love and lust. It is particularly stimulating to woman.

Mustard
Believed to stimulate the sexual glands and increase desire. Prepare a tenderloin roast (filet mignon) for two with a mustard and peppercorn sauce.

Nutmeg
Nutmeg was highly prized by Chinese women as an aphrodisiac. In quantity nutmeg can produce a hallucinogenic effect. A light sprinkling of the spice in a warm pumpkin soup can help spice up your evening.

Nuts
Whether you prefer walnuts, almonds or macadamias, nuts have had a reputation as aphrodisiacs for centuries. During harvest festivals in Rome, maidens passed out bowls of nuts as symbols of fertility.

Olive Oil
Rich of Vitamin E, this vitamin has the property to delay the change of the cellular structure which leads to natural decadence, the people's aging, so one of the best medicaments for delaying aging is the olive oil. On the other hand, as we all know, Vitamin E improves our sexual life.

Onion
Since prehistoric times the onion has been considered an aphrodisiac. They are mentioned in many classic Hindu texts on the art of making love and were commonly used as an aphrodisiac in ancient Greece. (I always wondered why Alexander The Great was so named!) In the days of the Egyptians pharaohs, celibate priests were forbidden to eat onions because of the potential effects on their...er...psyches. Also in France, newlyweds were served onion soup on the morning after their wedding night to restore their libido. Consider the following recommendation
"If your wife is old and your member is exhausted, eat onions in plenty."
by the Roman epigrammatist, Martial.

Oysters
Oysters were documented as a aphrodisiac food by the Romans in the second century A.D as mentioned in a satire by Juvenal. He described the wanton ways of women after ingesting wine and eating "giant oysters". An additional hypotheses is that the oyster resembles the "female" genitals. In reality oysters are a very nutritious and high in protein.
oysters are a healthy food that are rich in phosphorus, iodine and zinc, which is known to increase the sexual health of both men and women. Legend holds that Casanova ate 50 raw oysters every morning with the lady du jour. Chardonnay is a good match with oysters.

Parsley
One of tne of the most nutritious herbs containing high amounts of vitamins A and C, potassium, calcium magnesium, phosphorus, iron and other essential minerals. Parsley was used as far back as the times of Hippocrates as a medicine believed to help to improve general health. Parsley is an excellent source of natural chlorophyll, along with a variety of other healthy nutrients and it is a has aphrodisiac properties.

Pasta
Carbohydrates
If your libido is out to lunch you may be low on seratonin (a brain chemical that effects mood) and energy. A carbo fix combined with a little tryptophan (an amino acid found in a variety of meat and dairy products) may increase seratonin levels, energy and desire.

Pepper
According to The Perfumed Garden (an ancient Arabic love manual), ground pepper mixed with cardamom or lavender, galanga, musk, honey and ginger is a potent topical aphrodisiac for men. In India pepper corns are crushed with almonds, mixed with milk and consumed as an aphrodisiac.

Pine Nuts
These nuts (actually seeds of the pine tree) have been used as an aphrodisiac throughout the Mediterranean and the East. The Roman poet, Ovid, included pine nuts in his list of aphrodisiacs. The Perfumed Garden, (an ancient Arabic love manual), contains many references to pine nuts including this prescription to restore a man's sexual vigor: "A glass of thick honey, plus 20 almonds and 100 pine nuts repeated for three nights."
Zinc is a key mineral necessary to maintain male potency and pine nuts are rich in zinc. Pine nuts have been used to stimulate the libido as far back as Medieval times. Serve pine nut cookies with a dark espresso for a stimulating dessert.
Pine kernels are famous for their aphrodisiac properties. Galenus in 200 AD recommended the following night cap to his male patients: a glass of honey, 20 almonds and 100 pine kernels. Try it!
Another curiosity: the pine nut with most aphrodisiac power is the type that comes from the PINUS GERARDIANA, a pine tree who grows only in the NW side of the Himalaya mountains at a height between 2000 and 4000 meters.

Rosemary
Stimulates the nerve centres and boosts the circulation of blood.

Saffron
contains picrocrocin which is alleged to have the ability to cause erotic sensations.


Tomatoes
Known as love-apples by the French, the humble tomato may have been the real culprit that got Adam and Eve kicked out of Eden. Fresh, ripe tomatoes, locally grown and eaten in season are a very seductive food. Try them with a little fresh mozzarella cheese and some basil. Tomatoes are rich in the phytochemical lycopene which can help prevent prostate cancer.

Truffles
The Greeks and the Romans considered the rare Truffle to be an aphrodisiac. The musky scent is said to stimulate and sensitize the skin to touch.
The fragrant musty smell of this precious, rare fungus contains chemicals that are similar to the sex hormones in the male pig. (Ok everyone, make your male pig jokes here.) According to the famed French gastronome Brillat-Savarin: "Whoever says 'truffle' utters a great word which arouses erotic and gastronomic memories."

Vanilla
The scent and flavor of vanilla is believed to increase lust. According to the Australian Orchid Society, "Old Totonac lore has it that Xanat, the young daughter of the Mexican fertility goddess, loved a Totonac youth. Unable to marry him due to her divine nature, she transformed herself into a plant that would provide pleasure and happiness." Fill tall Champagne glasses to the rim and add a vanilla bean for a heady, bubbly treat.

Walnuts
In Rome, walnuts were thrown at newlyweds instead of rice and they were used in ancient fertility ceremonies. Walnuts have also been used in Italy and France to intensify desire.

Wine
A glass or two of wine can greatly enhance a romantic interlude. Wine relaxes and helps to stimulate our senses. Drinking wine can be an erotic experience. Let your eyes feast on the color of the liquid. Caress the glass, savor the taste on your lips. Do remember that excessive alcohol will make you too drowsy for the after-dinner romance. A moderate amount of wine has been said to "arouse" but much more than that amount with have the reverse affect.

 (C) T,M. (Coolwaters)..2007