UrbanWire

It’s that time of the year again, for thoughts to drift to soft music, romantic getaways, handwritten scrawls declaring everlasting love in a hallmark card and candlelight dinners by the beach.

I never used to think much of Valentine’s Day. If a couple is truly in love, why is there a need to be extra nice and sensitive to each other only once a year? Doesn’t it get frustrating when you celebrate your affection by racking your brains for a perfect gift and calling up restaurants to make reservations and having to splurge $30 for a silly stalk of rose with embossed words? Why follow the herd?

The process of pleasing one’s palates however, is most agreeable, any time of the year. As the saying goes, a hungry man (or woman) is an angry man. Valentine’s Day (however commercialised it has become) is still a day for lovers. For those who celebrate it as Friendship Day, it’s all the more reason to pig out!

Fret not if you can’t get a table at that fancy French place or simply have a certain dough deficit, love-inducing foods and their cheaper reincarnations are available year-round. We’re sure your date wouldn’t mind a little creativity.

Aphrodisiac is pronounced as Aph`ro*dis"i*ac or Air-fro-dee-zee-ack but for those linguistically challenged, like this reporter, try reading it as Afro-dizzy-acts! Aphrodisiacs are substances, whether food or scent, that induce sexual desire.

While many might be familiar with Venus, the Roman Goddess of Love and Beauty, few are aware of Aphrodite. Aphrodite is the Greek equivalent of Venus and the word aphrodisiac is derived from her name.

These days, most people associate aphrodisiacs with food that heightens one’s sexual cravings, and in a milder way, relate them to the four-letter word – Love. It is common practice for heart-shaped chocolates to be given as an expression of love on Valentine’s Day. However, this Valentine’s, we’d like introduce you to other aphrodisiacs that you can feed your sweetheart with. Save the chocolates for the boring, uninspired lovers. [^top]

Chocolates make people happy, and many have professed that they can’t live without their nutty brownies, Ferrero Rocher in golden foil and the endorphin-inducing cup of cocoa. But for that “loving feeling”, try vanilla instead. Vanilla makes a person irresistible and that’s thanks to its strong aromatic scent that is described as “sexy and erotic, sweet and innocent”. A whiff of vanilla is said to exhilarate one’s senses and helps keep one awake. So, to make your date last longer, be sure to opt for vanilla ice cream over chocolate for dessert. An alternative would be ordering 1 vanilla smoothie, with 2 straws, naturally. That’s a sure way to get closer (literally) to your date! To make sure you stay sweet smelling the whole date, spray on a perfume with vanilla properties like Attraction from Lancome, Dark Blue from Hugo Boss and The Body Shop’s Vanilla range.

No respectable list of aphrodisiacs can fail to mention oysters. Roman poet and satirist Junvenal wrote that women were sexually charged up after having a meal of “giant oysters” and wine. Apart from increasing one’s libido through the zinc content, oysters are also rich in protein and carbohydrates. The common way to eat oysters is to have it raw, with a splash of lemon and for those who like it hot, Tabasco sauce, before downing the whole thing from the shell. For those who don’t think their stomach can handle raw oysters, there are other ways of preparing it, one way is to dump in into a batter and deep fry it.

Another relatively unknown amorous food is the luscious tomato. Yes, this round and reddish vegetable comes in an assortment of sizes, and is found in salads, soups and even canned drinks. This juicy tomato is said to have propensities to induce love. The French took it a step further and calls it pommes d’amour, which translates to “love apples”. Well, we’ll take it from the French since they are renowned to be fantastic lovers. Also, the juiciness of each bite into a ripe tomato is such a sensory experience that deems it of this status.

Avocados are also considered as aphrodisiacs for their rich and creamy texture. Although some shun it for its rather raw taste, avocados are good for one’s body as they contain good fats, lots of vitamin E and also have moisturising effects. Did you know that avocados come in pairs? The fruit’s aphrodisiac properties lie in its shape. When halved, the avocado bears resemblance to ahem, the female’s nether regions. The Aztecs also refer to the avocado tree as “Ahuacuatl” which means “testicle tree”. Well, not that that sounded appetising, but the health benefits of eating avocado alone should be enough to convince you to have it this Valentine’s. [^top]

Aphrodisiacs a la carte
If nothing above has caught your fancy, and you are planning to celebrate Valentines’ Day by surprising your sweetheart with a D-I-Y (do it yourself) picnic, here are some more love foods that are easy to eat and fast to prepare.

Apart from the usual sandwiches and carbonated drinks, remember to pack some fruits too. Bananas are not only high-energy givers; they contain plenty of vitamin B and potassium, which are essential for the production of sex hormones. If you find the banana’s phallic shape a tad suggestive, you can always just dig into some fluffy banana cake, banana bread or even goreng pisang [deep fried battered bananas].

Bring a bunch of seedless grapes too, so you can pop them one by one into your partner’s mouth without them choking or having to do the unglam act of spitting those tiny black seeds. How do grapes do the trick, you ask? Well, grapes are the main ingredients to wine making, and wine generally relaxes and lowers one’s inhibitions. The Greek god of wine, Dionysus is also the god of fertility and procreation. See the connection? So to set that intoxicating and dreamy mood without getting drunk, opt for grapes instead.

You could also try whipping up a colourful and nutritious salad at the same time. Cucumber and carrots are said to be stimulants for the women and men respectively. The subtle scent emitted from the cucumber has been scientifically proven to cause arousal among the ladies. Carrots have long been regarded as an aphrodisiac by the Greeks and Romans. Roman emperor Caligula believed in the powers of carrots so much that he ordered a banquet wholly made up of carrot dishes served with the intention of getting his subjects in the mood (for love, we believe), according to freshorganics.com.au. So now you know what not to forget when it comes to making that salad for your darling.

Be a little creative and toss in some pasta and pine nuts for that extra crunch and flavour. If you have difficulty getting or paying for pine nuts, try using walnuts and almonds as substitutes, they do the trick too. Like oysters, nuts are high in zinc that is believed to counter male impotency, which is why nuts are also associated with fertility. By adding pasta into your salad, you are not only feeding your sweetheart a heartier meal, but also “feeding his or her mind”. This is because eating pasta gives one a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment, and when a person feels good, his or her serotonin levels will increase. Serotonin basically causes one to feel happier; it is found in anti-depressants like Prozac, and a healthy serotonin level means that one will function better, and be in a better mood. So next time you want to chummy up with your sweetheart or would like just like to brighten their mood, bring them for a pasta meal.

Garlic and chilli are also known to be aphrodisiacs that’ll “heat things up” between you and your partner. It is said that garlic boosts one’s nervous system, and will sharpen one’s senses. Make sure to have chilli on the menu if you want to re-light the “fire” in your relationship as the hot chilli is said to pump up the passion and adrenaline (since one sweats a lot when consuming spicy food). Can’t think of a dish that has both? Maybe you can stash a packet of McDonald’s garlic chilli sauce and slurp it down at the appropriate moment. If you really do try that, be sure to drop us a mail and tell us how it went.

Lastly, propose a toast of honeyed drink to celebrate your love for each other. Like bananas, honey is rich in vitamin B, which is an essential ingredient in sex hormones production. In the past, the Romans regarded honey as one of the foods for passion. If you are planning to serenade your “honey” this Valentine’s, we suggest you do some “sweetening up”.

Even if you already have a reservation at that fancy French restaurant, you can order food that contains what we’ve suggested. The other thing to note though, it doesn’t matter if you are really having fresh oysters or sharing a plate of oily oyster omelette, anyone who’s in love will tell you it’s how you eat it and who you eat it with.
For those who don’t mind getting their hands dirty in a sincere effort to express your love through a homemade meal, we reckon you won’t be leaving out ingredients like bananas and pasta. Whichever way you decide to celebrate this Valentine’s Day, UrbanWire wishes you and your special half Le Jour heureux de Valentin and bon appetit! [^top]