Gone are the days where Netflix and Chill can be classified as a date. Let’s face it, once a professor brings it up as a topic in class, the sex appeal is gone. Instead of sticking to the basics, try something new this year and try some century old traditional aphrodisiac foods.
Oysters
Photo by Delissa Handoko
Oysters are everyone’s first thought when they think of an aphrodisiac food. Oysters are high in zinc and have a reputation for being great for fertility and love. It wasn’t until recently that researchers found out that the amino acids in oysters trigger the production of sex hormones. Something very unique about oysters is they can change from male to female and back. Oysters are one of the only organisms that experience both male and female experiences of love.
Bananas
Photo by Abigail Wang
Don’t worry, I’m not going to bring you back to your freshman health class. Aside from the shape of bananas being questionable, bananas also contain bromelain. Bromelain is an enzyme that triggers testosterone production.
Artichokes
Photo courtesy of artichokes.org
These prickly vegetables you avoid touching in the grocery store were forbidden for women to eat in the middle ages. Good for us ladies, Catherine de Medici broke the artichokes stigma by regularly feeding them to the king. To make this food even sexier, back in 1949, Marilyn Monroe the “ultimate sex goddess” was crowned the first California Artichoke Queen.
Chocolate
Photo by Laura Palladino
Chocolate is probably the most food porn worthy food. Dark chocolate is known to cause a spike in dopamine which enhances feelings of pleasure.
Avocados
Photo by Amanda Shulman
If you want to start off you Valentine’s Day with a bang, start with some avocado toast. Avocados are considered an aphrodisiac by the Aztecs and the Mayans because they believed it could enhance sexual desirability. Avocados are also a remedy for erectile dysfunction. Why are there not more guac commercials during football games?
Figs
Photo courtesy of specialtyproduce.com
Figs have been associated with fertility because of their high seed count, shape, and texture. The ancient Greeks celebrated the fig harvest by having a wild sex ritual.
Carrots
Photo by Elizabeth Tadie
After watching Orange is the New Black, I still can’t look at a carrot the same again. Because of their shape, Greeks and Romans believed that carrots were a sexual stimulate. Early Middle Eastern royalty believed that if cooked correctly, a carrot could lead to aid in seduction.
Asparagus
Photo by Maggie Gorman
Asparagus is high in folate which is a nutrient that can help in erectile dysfunction. Hundreds of years ago, the French would often eat large amounts of asparagus before their honeymoon to fortify their manhood.
Strawberries
Photo by Serena Ajbani
Venus, the Roman Goddess of love, symbol is heart-shaped strawberries. If you follow the Roman traditions, before leaving on your honeymoon, you are served with champagne and chocolate.