"Foods of Love"

"I repent of my diets, the delicious dishes rejected out of vanity, as much as I lament the opportunities for making love that I let go by."
- Isabel Allende

Did you know the loving power of food?

From the time of ancient Greece, certain foods (Aphrodisiacs) have been associated with Aphrodite, the goddess of love.  They contain certain love ingredients to arouse and seduce.

Strawberries
With a perfect little red heart, the strawberry is an edible symbol of love. Touted as an aphrodisiac fruit since the times of ancient Rome, the strawberry was a symbol of Venus, the Roman goddess of love, beauty and fertility. In the French countryside, there was once a tradition of serving newlyweds cold strawberry soup to help promote the aphrodisiac of honeymoon romance.

Figs
The fig, a favourite of Cleopatra, is thought to emulate the female sex organs and traditionally thought of as sexual stimulant.

Ginseng

Ginseng has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for over three thousand years and is revered by ancient Chinese emperors who were willing to pay for ginseng with its weight in gold! Ginseng has been proven to improve libido and increase energy and stamina levels.

Chocolates and Champagne
There’s a reason why chocolates and Champagne are two of the finest aphrodisiacs of all time. Champagnes, especially of the dryer kind, replicate the delicate aromas of female pheromones while chocolate turns on the pleasure centres in our brain and releases the same hormone as sexual intercourse.

Coriander
The history of coriander as an aphrodisiac dates back far into history. The Chinese used the herb in love potions believing it provided immortality. The book of The Arabian nights tells a tale of an impotent man cured by a concoction that included coriander. In the Middle Ages, several herbs including coriander were mixed to make a drink called “Hipocras” that was commonly used during weddings, and was believed to stimulate the libido.