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Another Valentine's Day will soon come and
go. Another day to celebrate love, to
display our passions proudly, and to
openly declare our affections. This annual
festival of love epitomizes the pursuit of
passion that rages on day after day and
will continue for all of eternity. No
natural disaster, no war, no famine, and
no disease can stop us in our quest for
the ultimate &endash; true love!
For most of us, the quest for love is a
rather dull, if not trite, series of
events. We meet someone in the most benign
of circumstances, arrange a more intimate
meeting (the first date!), romance ensues,
and so the story goes. But for some, the
quest for love isn't left strictly to
chance or fate. For many, the journey is
too slow or not fruitful enough and these
souls feel compelled to take control and
usurp Cupid's failing powers. How? Love
potions, or as they are more commonly
known &endash; aphrodisiacs.
An aphrodisiac, as defined by Webster's
dictionary, is any food, drug, or potion
arousing or increasing sexual desire. Most
of us are familiar with the most
"ordinary" of aphrodisiacs - oysters,
licorice, chocolate, etc. But what about
the "extraordinary"? In researching this
column, I was amazed by the plethora of
purported aphrodisiac products that are
commonly available today. The array of
herbs, oils, and potions and the
tradtional lore behind them is
fascinating.
Traditional herb lore presents astonishing
accounts of the power of herbs and of
products made from them that help
stimulate desire. One of the most exotic
is Damiana, the leaf of a desert plant
found in North and Central America and
Africa. The plant contains alkaloids that
supposedly stimulate the sex organs. It is
also said to have muscle relaxant
properties and can produce a mild
euphoria. Wow! Sounds good, if not a
little scary. Other similar herbs which
are alleged to induce or stimulate desire
include ginseng, red raspberry leaf, betel
nut, and sarsaparilla. Even some common
household herbs and extracts are believed
to work as aphrodisiacs.
Vanilla's luscious scent is said to
stimulate desire in both men and women.
Native Mexicans add vanilla to chocolate
drinks to increase its potency. Likewise,
for thousands of years Arab men have used
peppermint tea for maintaining sexual
stamina. Cardamom, a cinnamon like herb,
is often steeped in wine in the name of
passion. Still other common herbs such as
cinnamon, jasmine, coriander, ginger, and
even black pepper are used to produce
essential oils for the sole purpose of
stimulating a loved one and producing an
exciting, sensual experience.
This is heady stuff as far as I'm
concerned. Personally, I'm more than a
little afraid of putting some of these
things in or on my body. And having been
married for almost nine years and
coexisting with two rambunctious
preschoolers, the term aphrodisiac
conjures up something else altogether.
Candlelight, soft music, incense, a
glowing fireplace, body massage, and the
like all work just fine for me. Frankly,
on most days I could be driven to passion
by simply being allowed to enjoy a hot
meal over more than a ten-minute span
without a toddler within six inches of my
personal space. Ah, the things we do for
love.
About the Author:
Suzy
Gardner is co-author of Ice
Cream For All
Seasons
and a freelance culinary
writer.
Let's Get Cooking!
While there are many reasons for teaching kids to cook -- less expensive than eating out, preserves family heritage, etc, the most important
reason is that by teaching your child to cook, you're giving him a better chance to be a healthy grown-up. Enabling your child with the ability
to appreciate freshness and to transform ingredients into tasty foods opens their eyes to making wiser choices about what to eat...
Let's Get Cooking!
