Single Girl Dating Diaries: Aphrodisiacs

By Saffron on November 12th, 2009

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First, let’s start with what an aphrodisiac is: An aphrodisiac doesn’t necessarily have to be food, rather it can also be a scent, drug, drink, sound or basically anything that can improve your sexual experience and/or performance.

This quest for knowledge all started when I read this article in Men’s Health which stated that food is the ultimate metaphor for sex. “How else can you make someone happy by putting something inside of them.” Wow! What an intensely graphic way of putting it, but they’re onto something.

Oysters! That is the first thing I think about whenever this subject comes up. So I did some digging and found that there were many explanations. One that I particularly liked involved the infamous Casanova. Go figure! Yes the epitome of a lover, the role model of how to seduce, the original pick-up artist, and so on. It was said that he would eat a bucket of oysters every morning, which helped his performance, a retro viagra of sorts. As it turns out, oysters have high levels of zinc and when there’s a shortage, it can usually lead to impotence. Another idea is that it’s an aphrodisiac because of its suggestive shape … I’ll leave that to your imaginations.

I was on a date a couple of weeks ago and I brought up this topic. My date, Carlos, and I sat down at a sushi bar and he started to recall his first time eating sushi.

CARLOS: “Think about it, I’m eating this exotic food for the first time, which is so different from anything I ate growing up. I used my hands to eat so I can feel the texture and it’s very flesh-like, tongue-like. Combine that with the tingle of the wasabi…mmm.”

I wanted to say, “Oh my god, please go on.” I was turned on and hungry! I wanted to have the same experience. When the food came I kept an open mind, but it didn’t have the same effect on me. The idea of it was more enticing for me.

We argued that it came down to the female brain versus the male brain, but we obviously didn’t agree. I don’t think we have the conscious capability to create or cater aphrodisiacs to match our personality.

Later on it hit me, my moment. I was walking around on a really cold day in Queenstown and wandered into this tiny coffee shop/chocolatier. They had four vats of hot cocoa brewing. (I know what you’re thinking, what a typical woman with her craving for chocolate, but it was so much more.) I asked the barista to pick her favorite for me. She insisted on a dark, spicy hot cocoa, a South American recipe. They served it in a tiny espresso sized cup, but the flavors it carried blew my mind. It was so complex, and rich, and spicy. It made me happy and, dare I say, maybe even something more. I had an electrical charge run through me. I craved more.

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The FDA says that there is no scientific proof that aphrodisiacs can’t treat sexual drawbacks, but that’s not to say it can’t add to increasing our sexual energy. After all our brains are the greatest sexual organs we have!

My advice to you is to find your comfort foods (and I don’t mean mac ‘n cheese) and share it in an intimate setting with someone special. Take turns feeding each other and describing each subtle sensation. Hopefully the satisfaction of the delectable treats can spark another kind of hunger in you.

For an amazing cookbook and ideas on meals, visually pleasing and tasty, check out Intercourses. It is an incredible book that offers non-traditional recipe ideas for aphrodisiacs.

Bon Appetit!

(Photos By: Ben Fink for Intercourses)