Before the big date on Valentine's Day most students never ask themselves if they've got asses' milk. If this were Valentine's Day in ancient Rome, asses' milk would be in every kitchen pantry across the great Papal city.
This hot item is not an everyday cereal accompaniment but a highly prized aphrodisiac of the ancients. Ancient Roman males would rub asses' milk on their genitalia twice a day to experience the almost magical benefits. Upon application, their virile member would become uncommonly strong and vigorous, a sort of ancient topical Viagra.
Aphrodisiacs come from the Greek myth of the goddess Aphrodite, who sprang forth from the sea on an oyster shell. The myth crowns her as the epitome of sexual desires. An aphrodisiac is considered to be any various form of stimulation thought to arouse sexual excitement. This arousal can either be classified as psychophysiological (touch, smell, sight) or internal (foods, drinks, potions).
Although aphrodisiacs are generally considered to be luxury items such as exotic seafood or asses' milk, numerous items are affordable and easy to find. In fact, take a look in the kitchen cupboard.
If you can conjure up bananas, honey or chocolate, you can easily invite your significant other over for a night of culinary passion.
The banana flower has a marvelous phallic shape, which is partially responsible for the popularity of the banana as an aphrodisiac food. An Islamic myth tells the tale that after Adam and Eve succumbed to the apple they started covering their nudity with banana leaves rather than fig.
From a more practical standpoint, bananas are rich in potassium and B vitamins, necessities for sex hormone production.
Honey, used by the ancient Egyptians as a cure for sterility and impotence, is one of the ultimate love foods. The word \honeymoon"" actually derives from the ancient custom of a newlywed couple drinking mead (fermented honey) for the first lunar month after a marriage. Legend has it that Attila the Hun overdosed on mead on his wedding night.
Some cultures even spread honey on the palms of a new bride and groom and have them lick it off each other to ensure a ""sweet"" marriage.
While these practices will not hold up in a college dorm room, honey has its sexual benefits. Hippocrates, the infamous Greek doctor of fifth century B.C., suggested using honey to super-charge one's libido. Honey, which is easily and quickly absorbed by the body, provides a lover with long-lasting energy and promotes sexual health.
While many of us loathe receiving boxed chocolates on Valentine's Day, those cream filled bon bons are considered to be one of the best-known and loved aphrodisiacs.
Chocolate contains over 400 different chemicals, including theobromine (a caffeine-related substance) and phenylethylamine, which some scientists believe arouses the same feelings that we experience when we are in love. That does not, however, warrant scarfing down 30 Hershey's bars on those lonely nights.
Lonely nights for ancient Aztec King Montezuma were few and far between. In fact, legend has it that Montezuma drank 50 cups of xocolatl (cocoa) before entering his harem of several hundred women.
While one cannot promise that drinking 50 cups of xocolatl will provide anyone with a libido strong enough to take out a small army, it just may sweeten Valentine's Day.
Aphrodisiacs come in numerous forms, many of which have arousal powers beyond our wildest dreams. If this introduction to a few aphrodisiacs has whet the appetite for erotic culinary adventure, consider checking out these outstanding aphrodisiac books: ""Intercourses: an aphrodisiac cookbook"" by Martha Hopkins and Randall Lockridge and ""The Perfumed Garden"" by Shaykh Nefwazi.
Source: Bon Appetit-August 1992
1 12-ounce pound cake
1 cup strawberry preserves
1/4 cup strawberry liqueur or orange juice
2 pints strawberry sorbet, softened
2 pints banana-strawberry frozen yogurt, softened
1 10-ounce package frozen sliced strawberries in syrup, thawed
3 large ripe bananas, peeled, cut diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick slices
Sliced fresh strawberries
Cut cake into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange enough slices in bottom of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with two 3/4-inch-high sides to just cover bottom, fitting tightly. Cook preserves and liqueur in a heavy, small saucepan over medium heat until reduced to 2/3 cup, stirring frequently, for about 14 minutes. Spread half of preserves mixture over cake in pan. Freeze 10 minutes. Spoon sorbet over cake in pan; smooth top. Arrange more cake slices over to just cover sorbet. Spread remaining preserves mixture over cake. Freeze 10 minutes. Spoon frozen yogurt over cake; smooth top. Cover and freeze overnight. (Can be prepared one week ahead.) Puree thawed berries in processor. Cover and refrigerate until cold. (Sauce can be prepared two days ahead.) Release pan sides from cake. Place banana slices around cake edge. Mound berries in center. Serve cake with sauce. Serves 12.
Source: Bon Appetit-December 1997
4 cups whole milk
3 3-inch-long cinnamon sticks, broken in half
30 whole cloves
1 teaspoon aniseed
5 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
5 tablespoons coffee liqueur
Bring milk and spices to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add chocolate, cocoa and sugar; whisk until chocolate melts. Remove from heat. Cover; let steep 45 minutes. Bring hot chocolate just to simmer. Mix in liqueur. Strain into four mugs. Makes four servings.
