Foods considered aphrodisiacs

[TastyReuben]

MrsT came home with a small bottle of…something (discussed over in the produce/ingredients topic) that advertises itself as quite the, ahem, mood enhancer.

That got me to thinking - what foods/drinks are you familiar with that are considered aphrodisiacs? I’m especially interested to see what cultures different from my own respond with.

Off the top of my head…oysters, chocolate, avocados (which I learned through a recent challenge), various alcoholic beverages, and chilis.

Any others?

 

[badjak]

I heard it said about oysters, but drawing a blank on anything else

 

[karadekoolaid]

I also heard figs were aphrodisiac - but that maybe because of its physical appearance rather than actual flavour.
From what I understand from being a registered chilehead, chiles stimulate the "pain"receptors in your brain, and then the feeling of "relief" when the burn disappears is akin to an aphrodisiac.
The only guaranteed aphrodisiac I know of comes in a little blue pill...

 

[JAS_OH1]

I heard it said about oysters, but drawing a blank on anything else

I just bought some of those for tonight's dinner. Not because of any aphrodisiac effects, just because we like eating them!

 

[TastyReuben]

Reading a little bit about it, it makes me laugh somewhat, because it looks like there are three categories at play when determining whether a food is “lusty,” as one source from a couple of hundred years ago put it:

1. It’s an actual part of the food source’s reproductive system (so…turtle penis in that libation MrsT brought home, saffron threads, etc), or

2. It resembles anything associated with reproduction/sex (so…avocados because they look similar to testicles, oysters (there’s a whole lot going on there, as different sources identify appearance, texture, and taste), etc)

3. Anything spicy, which simply corresponds to spicing things up outside of mealtimes.

Really, that means almost anything could be considered an aphrodisiac, because I could make a case for most things fitting at least one of those categories.

I think people were always just looking for any excuse to get it on.

 

[JAS_OH1]

2. It resembles anything associated with reproduction/sex (so…avocados because they look similar to testicles, oysters (there’s a whole lot going on there, as different sources identify appearance, texture, and taste), etc)

3. Anything spicy, which simply corresponds to spicing things up outside of mealtimes.

Really, that means almost anything could be considered an aphrodisiac, because I could make a case for most things fitting at least one of those categories.

I think people were always just looking for any excuse to get it on.

If my husband's testicles swelled up to the size of an avocado and turned green, we wouldn't be getting it on, we'd be going to the ER.

 

[TastyReuben]

If my husband's testicles swelled up to the size of an avocado and turned green, we wouldn't be getting it on, we'd be going to the ER.

“Hey, baby, get a look at these - you ready to make a little magic?!”

“Actually, for some reason, I’m ready to…make a little toast!”

 

[detroitdad]

MrsT came home with a small bottle of…something (discussed over in the produce/ingredients topic) that advertises itself as quite the, ahem, mood enhancer.

That got me to thinking - what foods/drinks are you familiar with that are considered aphrodisiacs? I’m especially interested to see what cultures different from my own respond with.

Off the top of my head…oysters, chocolate, avocados (which I learned through a recent challenge), various alcoholic beverages, and chilis.

Any others?

Anything that my lovely bride serves me is an aphrodisiac!

 

[Morning Glory]

Asparagus. But again that may be the visual...

 

[JAS_OH1]

Asparagus. But again that may be the visual...

The way bodily secretions smell after consuming it would have the opposite effect.

 

[Morning Glory]

The way bodily secretions smell after consuming it would have the opposite effect.

Only some people. It's a genetic thing I believe.