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| Seduction - Image courtesy: Corbis, Thinkstock |
Did you know that aphrodisiacs can take your love life to a whole new level? Aphrodisiacs work in two ways — igniting passion by either working on the mind, or by affecting parts of the body. For instance, something that increases blood flow in the sex organs and thereby create desire falls into the second category.
If you thought: ‘If it looks like a sex organ, it must do something...’ you are not alone. Vegetables such as carrots, asparagus and cucumbers have all been associated with aphrodisiacs.
People throughout history have made aphrodisiac associations with animals that are known to be virile and prolific reproducers — rabbits, tigers, goats and bulls, for instance. Historically, people ingested the sex organs of these animals for better sex.
Get into the mood for some lovin’ with this list of famous aphrodisiacs — some are aphrodisiacs simply because of their shape, some because of their aromas, while others claim a chemical basis for their powers of seduction.
ChocolateChocolate has phenylethylamine and serotonin, two chemicals that light up pleasure areas in the brain. Chocolate is similar to sex in that it makes you feel good. Stories go that the Aztec ruler Montezuma drank 50 goblets of chocolate every day to enhance his sexual abilities.
OystersThe Romans placed the oyster high on their list of prized aphrodisiacs. A legend goes that the world’s greatest lover Casanova would eat 50 raw oysters for breakfast! Interestingly, oysters are high in zinc, which is necessary for sperm production. Raw oysters (apart from mussels and clams) are also high in D-aspartic acid and N-methyl-D-aspartate, which may be effective in releasing sex hormones like testosterone and oestrogen. An additional hypothesis is that the oyster resembles the vagina.
BananasIn addition to the phallic shape of the banana itself, the banana flower also has a phallic shape. Bananas are rich in potassium and B vitamins, which are said to be necessary for sex-hormone production.
NutmegIn ancient China, women prized nutmeg as an aphrodisiac, and researchers have found it to increase mating behaviours in mice.
Licorice
In ancient China, people used licorice to enhance love and lust. The smell appears to be particularly stimulating. Alan R. Hirsch, MD, neurological director of the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, conducted a study that looked at how different smells stimulated sexual arousal. He found that the smell of black licorice increased the blood flow to the penis by 13 per cent. When combined with the smell of doughnuts, that percentage jumped to 32.
PapayaPapaya is oestrogenic, meaning it has compounds that act as the female hormone oestrogen. It has been used as a folk remedy in promoting menstruation and milk production, facilitating childbirth and increasing the female libido.
HoneyIn medieval times, people drank mead, a fermented drink made from honey, to promote sexual desire. In ancient Persia, couples drank mead every day for a month (known as the “honey month” – hence the world “honeymoon”) after they married in order to get in the right frame of mind for a successful marriage. Honey is rich in B vitamins (needed for testosterone production) as well as boron (helps the body metabolise and use oestrogen).
GingerPeople have deemed ginger root an aphrodisiac for centuries because of its scent and because it stimulates the circulatory system.
AvocadoThe avocado tree was called a “testicle tree” by the Aztecs because its fruit hangs in pairs on the tree, resembling the male testicles. And the fruit itself, when halved, resembles the female sex organ — the vagina.
AniseedAlso known as anise, the ancient Greeks and Romans believed that you could increase desire by sucking on anise seeds. Aniseed does include oestrogenic compounds (female hormones), which have been reported to induce similar effects to testosterone.
CarrotsThe phallus-shaped carrot has been associated with sexual stimulation since ancient times and was used by early Middle Eastern royalty to aid seduction.
Celery Men, if you eat celery it will make you more attractive to women. “When you chew a stalk of celery, you release androstenone and androstenol odour molecules into your mouth. They then travel up the back of your throat to your nose,” says Alan Hirsch, MD, author of Scentsational Sex. “Once there, the pheromones boost your arousal, turning you on and causing your body to send off scents and signals that make you more desirable to women.”
CardamomCardamom is an aromatic spice. Certain cultures deem it a powerful aphrodisiac and also claim it is beneficial in treating impotence. It is high in cineole, which can increase blood flow in areas where it is applied.
Chili peppersEating chili peppers generates physiological responses in our bodies (eg, sweating, increased heart rate and circulation) that are similar to those experienced when having sex. The capsaicin they contain is responsible for the effects and is also a good pain reliever.
Basil
For centuries, people said that sweet basil stimulated the sex drive and boosted fertility as well as producing a general sense of well being. The scent of basil was said to drive men wild — so much so that women would dust their breasts with dried and powdered basil.
CucumbersAside from its phallic shape, the scent of cucumbers is believed to stimulate women by increasing blood flow to the vagina.
Garlic
Long ago, Tibetan monks were not allowed to enter the monastery if they had been eating garlic because of its reputation for stirring up passions. Garlic increases circulation.
Pine nuts
People have been using pine nuts to stimulate the libido since Medieval times. Like oysters, they are high in zinc. Pine nuts have been used for centuries to make love potions. The Arabian medical scholar Galen recommended eating one hundred pine nuts before going to bed.
SEDUCTIVE DISHES TO COOK UP:
Insalata Valentino
Ingredients: (For the salad) 90 gms iceberg lettuce, 50 gms red leaf lettuce, 10 gms arugula, 10 gms endives, 10 gms onions, 15 gms tomatoes, 30 gms fresh strawberries, 20 gms carrots.
(For the dressing) fresh strawberries, strawberry juice, lemon juice, a few jalepenos, olive oil, fresh mint leaves, basil, a sprig of parsley salt and pepper to taste.
(For garnish) Bread slices and gorgonzola cheese
Method: Break the iceberg, arugula, endive s and red leaf lettuce by hand into halves and refresh in cold water. Cut the tomatoes, carrots and onions into juliennes and the strawberries into quarters. Prepare the dressing by first taking olive oil, salt and black pepper in a bowl and whisking gradually. To this mix, add the strawberry juice, chopped fresh strawberries, lemon juice, jalapeno, mint and basil leaves. Put all the salad ingredients except carrot in a mixing bowl and pour the dressing. Toss with light hands. Arrange in a salad bowl or hollow plate and sprinkle the carrot on top. Place the parsley sprig on top. Toast the bread slices and top them with gorgonzola cheese. Arrange these next to the salad, and your romantic salad is ready.
Cointreau French Kiss
Ingredients: 37.5ml Cointreau, flesh from 1 ripe large fresh passion fruit, 15 ml fresh lemon juice, 5 ml sugar syrup
Method: Scoop flesh from the passion fruit and add all the other ingredients into a shaker. Shake and fine strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange penny.
Strawberry and Cointreau CrushIngredients: 225 gms strawberries, 2 tbsp castor (superfine) sugar, 30 ml/2 tbsps Cointreau, 300 ml full cream, whipped
Method: Reserve four strawberries for decoration, then crush the remainder with the sugar. Whisk the Cointreau into the cream, then fold in the strawberry mixture. Spoon into individual glass dishes and top with a strawberry. Chill before serving.
Oysters in Blankets
Ingredients: 2 cans smoked oysters, a few bacon strips, ¼ cup vegetable oil 3 tbsps minced garlic
Method: Wrap a bacon slice around each oyster and pin it with a toothpick. Heat oil in a skillet. Add garlic. Add the wrapped oysters and cook until the bacon is crisp.
Recipes courtesy Suresh Thampy, executive chef at Courtyard by Marriott, Sanjay, pastry chef at Courtyard by Marriott, Prashant Sabne, pastry chef, Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel, Mohammad Ashfaque Qureshi, Masterchef at Mirador, Richard Lambert, global brand ambassador for Cointreau, and Amit Chowdhary, executive chef at Corniche
SOURCE :- http://idiva.com/news-work-life/seduction-foods-recipes/10958
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