Love Eats
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.
Aphro- what?
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.
The Real Deal and its cheaper substitutes
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.
The Real Deal
Haagen Dazs Brownie Attraction $13.50 or French Vanilla Earl Cooler from NYDC
$5.95
Cheaper Alternative
Magnolia Vanilla Ice cream from Cold Storage 1.5litre $4.80 or a can of Vanilla
Coke $0.70 at supermarkets
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.
The Real Deal
Oyster platter from New Asia Bar + Grill $15 for half dozen
Cheaper Alternative
Oyster omelette from any hawker centre approx $4
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.
The Real Deal
Crayfish Parmigiana Pasta from Spageddies $18.50
Cheaper Alternative
Packet of cherry tomatoes from any supermarket approx $3. Forget popcorn,
sneak in a pack of this and feed your loved one during the romance movie. A
much healthier choice, no less.
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.
The Real Deal
Big O Café Caesar Brunch Salad $9.95 or Ricepaper Vietnamese Restaurant
Avocado Iced Blended $5
Cheaper Alternative
Avocado iced blended - reporter’s own recipe Serves 2. Cut an
avocado and with a spoon, dig its pulp into the blender. Add 3 cups of ice,
2 tablespoons of honey or gula melaka (for that local touch) and half a cup
of water. Blend till desired consistency. Pour contents into 2 tall glasses.
Dice 2 strawberries and stir it into the concoction to add colour and an element
of surprise.
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!