Sunday, February 10, 2013

Aphrodisiacs: Food for Thought




“Homemade white cheese, sizzling in a pan melting inside a folded tortilla… My mouth salivates at the thought of the hot steaming tamales I would be eating… if I were home.”

                                         “How To Tame a Wild Tongue,” 
  ~ Gloria Anzaldua 


I suppose it’s almost a no-brainer that whatever our cultural/racial/ethnic backgrounds, the natural collaboration of food and feelings is common to the experience of us all, generating a mix of visceral reactions in us that can span the enormous gamut of human emotions. For Anzaldua, memories of her Mexican girlhood, the loving warmth of home and family, were all tied up in the seductive sensory impact of hot, spicy, savory dishes that nourished her at her roots.

I remember a recent talk I was invited to give about, what else? Postmenopausal women and sexuality. My audience was to be a group of retired and semi-retired professional women. The venue? A high-end country club on Florida’s Gulf Coast. As is usually my preference, I arrived a bit early and to my happy surprise, was greeted by the group’s Chairwoman and the most beautiful display of fat, luscious freshly-dipped chocolate-covered strawberries that I have ever seen. “We hope you like them,” the Chairwoman beamed. “So ripe. So decadent. So perfectly juicy!” …. Indeed!

Of course, as Valentine’s Day approaches, the intricately entwined relationship between certain foods, desire and the performance of sex is often on our minds. And when you stop to think about it, the presumed connection between particular foods, desire and the performance of sexuality has been a source of human fancy and fascination since ancient times.

Called aphrodisiacs in honor of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of sexuality and love, we can’t get away from the notion that some foods have particular use when it comes to enhancing our sexual energies and desires. And when it comes to what really works in terms of libido-enhancement, torrents of folk wisdom have ebbed and flowed over time. 

Depending upon where you stand on the planet, it’s not out of the question to hear praises sung for the ingestion of emu eggshells sold in capsule form, or a nice, big helping of horny goat weed. And while almost anything is possible theoretically, scientific proof about lots of this stuff is pretty hard to come by. 

Still, the world is a wide one, as we learned in our girlhoods. Take the exotic truffle, for example. Ancient Greeks and Romans once thought that eating these earthy, buttery-tasting fungi greatly enhanced erotic pleasure and performance; some folk still do. And we’ve all heard the lore about oysters and their reported impact on the prowess of the notorious Don Juan. As legend has it, he regularly downed massive quantities of the hapless creatures as a way to ensure a long-lasting, rock-hard erection and make legend his ability to send many a swooning partner over the edge.

Indeed, Eastern cultures often look to the relationship between yin and yang-oriented food items as a way to affect sexual energy and performance; yin items are thought to be more passive and cool, like vegetables, while yang items are thought to be hotter, more protein packed, like meats. And let’s not forget, that some culture traditions prize certain exotic animal parts, like tiger penises, as the gold standard in maximizing sexual energy regardless of the fact that these animals and many others with sought after sex organs are in danger of becoming extinct.

And as always in the US, history frames our present reality. In fact, since reality really is shaped by our language, it’s easy to see how we’ve framed women’s sexuality in food-related terms, with objectifying words and expressions like “tart”, “tomato” or “tamale” which sound silly now, but were once commonly used in the US to describe women who were seen as hot, spicy, sexually exotic and permissive.  And let’s not forget the cultural use of the word “cherry” in referring to a female’s virginity.
Even today, such ubiquitous and well-known terms of endearment still in use like “honey”, “sweetie,” “sugar” and the like, all find their origins in reference to foodstuffs that sit easily on the tongue. What’s more, in 19th century New Orleans, brothels catering to gentlemen of the land-owning aristocracy often threw parties at which their affluent male clients were invited to spoon out and enjoy a rich, sweetened caramel custard that had been packed into the plump vaginas of young mulatto virgins.

Really… Can you imagine?

While there’s no real scientific proof to support such claims, generally, foods are thought to evoke sensuality if they exhibit one or a combination of the following characteristics: smooth, rich, creamy, exotic or spicy. In that regard, and based largely upon a wide expanse of cultural folklores, most edible aphrodisiacs have fallen into five general types over time.

First, foods that create warmth and moisture such as curries and peppers were thought by many cultures to arouse heated passion. 


On the other hand, cold foods like lettuce and other green leafy foods were thought to chill passion and slow things down.  Second, foods that stimulate the senses (sight, smell, taste, and touch) in a pleasurable way were thought to stimulate passion. Think about the old standbys here: rich, smooth chocolates, red ripe strawberries, thick, creamy caramel custards, not necessarily spooned out of someone’s vagina, and so on.

Third, foods that were involved in reproduction such as fish eggs or roe, bird eggs, and animal genitals were believed to increase sexual desire and potency, and foods considered rare, expensive or otherwise hard to obtain were believed to be sexually exciting. Of course, as these items became more common, their reputations as aphrodisiacs diminished. 

Fourth and finally, foods that resemble male or female genitalia were thought to increase desire, hence the reputation of Don Juan’s oysters, corn, some fruits and root vegetables like bananas, cukes and carrots. Lots of folks call this sympathetic magic. Cool, right?

But on Valentine’s Day, though we’re not likely to be interested in serving our partners some of the truly exotic, storied sex-drive enhancers like ambergris, a thick semi-solid substance regurgitated from the gut of sperm whales, or a tasty side serving of tiger penis stew, many of us might still be looking forward to something special for that romantic dinner. And for those of us who aren’t partnered, whether by chance or by choice, there’s reason aplenty to treat ourselves to something especially, deliciously, lustfully decadent as well.

Happy Valentine’s Day!





20 comments:

  1. I always heard oysters would create stamina with men and stimulate women to want sex more. I do not think those theories hold water. I do however like eating and have had experiences with different foods during times of foreplay.

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  2. I heard that oysters and seafood stimulate stamina in men and also women. The same about sautéed onions. The thing I do know that valentines day is famous foe sex and food. People tend to think about strawberries and whip cream.

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  3. I have heard most of the same things that every one has about foods that are suppose to stimulate a great sexual encounter. One thing that I think may be true for most men is that the way to a mans heart is through his stomach. I don't know to many people that will turn down a good meal.

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  4. I agree, there are a lot of foods out there that will entice the libido on any occasion, not just on Valentines Day. I feel good food, is good food and if you just by chance happens to eat something that turns you on, and there is nobody around to share your feelings with, then I suggests taking care of yourself, a Happy Valentines Day to me type action!

    v/r

    tmw

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  5. When my man make a special dinner for me it indeed entices my libido. Anonymous you are right. It does not have to be a special occasion. We have what we call cook nights.

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  6. i feel not just can food turn you on and if you happened to be alone know how to take care of yourself. but food is a great start to get her ready!!

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  7. I do feel there is some truth behind aphrodisiacs and I have also heard that fruits, and sweet foods flow through our bodies and give semen and vaginal fluids different taste which I think is true also.

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  8. I think that it depends on what the individual likes. I do not like oysters so I do not think they would turn me on. But I love strawberries so yes I think I would become aroused by that type of food.

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  9. I have heard of the many foods spoke about above and have even tried some, most of which I did not like. However, I still believe chocolate is the next best thing to sex.

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    1. Clarence Bryant, Jr.March 29, 2015 at 8:04 PM

      Food has always been spoken of in conversations concerning sexual activities. I believe everyone has thought about it at some time or another and many have actually used a food item such as the ones discussed here, whipped cream, strawberry jam, bananas, milk, etc. As long as it doesn't mess of my sheets I am Open -Minded to almost anything that won't hurt.

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  10. I have always heard oysters make u really really horny and I love to eat them but it doesn't make me horny. When it comes to strawberries whip cream and maybe some ice being rubbed on my body then I am heated and ready!

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  11. Oh K very interesting, I don't think the sweet name should only be used during V-Day. and I will pass on the tiger penis. I never really pay much attention to the sweet tart, being a food related name, and I don't know why any women would want caramel custard being place in her vagina or anyone wanting to eat the custard knowing that where its been, but so men and women are freaky that way.

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  12. Eating raw oysters is erotic. Nothing is more exciting than eating about 3 dozen fresh Mollusk with a lover. It increases the desire to have great oral sex... I would highly recomend sucking some oysters as a great start for a evening of foreplay and sex.

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  13. I did not know that foods that create warmth and moisture helps arouse heated passion.

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  14. I don't recall any sexual experience with food. Oh, wait a minute there was a situation with some Now and Later, see what had happened was........ long story never mind that. I heard that oysters,but they don't do nothing for me but taste good with extra hot sauce.

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  15. I never knew about the erotic foods but I have heard of pineapple juice making your lady juices sweeter if you drink the juice

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  16. I've heard on many of these foods dealing with sex. I also heard about fruits making nut taste better for women and men.

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  17. I have heard about oyesters and chocolate helping you out sexually but I believe it to be just a mind thing. I have also heard about pineapples making yiour nut taste sweet.

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  18. I've heard many things about food too! Good information to know on how many things can be real or not...

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