Aphrodisiac Foods
 Aphrodisiac foods were first documented in the first century A.D. and were also derived from mythology. Aphrodisiacs were first used as a remedy for various sexual anxieties or to boost fertility.
Foods such as anise, basil, carrots, gladiolus root, orchid bulbs, pistachio nuts, arugula, sage, sea fennel, turnips and snails were among the early foods were believed to boost sexual performance. If you are in the midst of planning a special meal for that special someone, you should stop and examine your menu. Certain foods such as asparagus, pineapple, strawberries and raspberries, oysters, figs and coffees are believed to be aphrodisiacs, a food, drug or scent that accelerates the sex drive.
You are What you EatEggs, snails and foods that grow into a bulbous shape like avocados were considered to have sexual powers. Other foods like bananas were considered stimulating because of their resemblance to genitalia. Some of the connection between food and eroticism is created between the food and the experience of receiving it from someone you are in a romantic relationship with. People typically refer to taste and smell, but food is also experienced through sight, sound and touch. When it’s served with a linen napkin, I’m going to savor it more than if I’m eating out of a paper sack at McDonalds. In French cooking, the presentation is so artful that it is half of the experience. You might not have a full plate, but you receive more satisfaction than if you ate a plate full of ribs and beans. That's the Way We do-it!Culture also influences the way food is received. Chiles and sweet chocolate, foundations of Mexican dishes including mole, are aphrodisiac ingredients. Another notable local aphrodisiac is the jacubo, which is a night-blooming cereus organ cactus. "It is trimmed of all thorns, boiled and sliced and made just like nopalitos, sometimes with dried shrimp. Of course, other aphrodisiacs such as chocolate and red wine are more universal, but this is an old local dish from the border," said Melissa Guerra, a food historian and cookbook author. Size MattersThe success of aphrodisiac foods also relies on serving size. A large meat loaf or a heavy meal laden with tortillas or pastas might make you feel sluggish, while framing a recipe around ingredients considered to be aphrodisiacs such as carrots, juicy tomatoes and the raw root of ginger energize. Chocolate and red wine is a combination that reacts with chemicals in the brain to produce a relaxed and sexual feeling. 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 will have the reverse effect.
Sam Fields 
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