Description
The herbs, spices, leaves and flowers in our Lover’s Tea Trio represent only a few of the love-inspiring/aphrodisiac botanicals that people have enjoyed through the ages. One familiar flavor is ginger whose powers are legendary. Most likely, you have eaten ginger to ward off travel sickness, relieve an upset stomach, or use as a treat. In an 1880 publication on the medicinal use of plants, Robert Bentley and Henry Trimen reveal that the plant increases circulation, heightening sensitivity in the erogenous zones. They wrote: “It is a general stimulant, being one of many spices that are regarded as being aphrodisiacs…”
Aphrodisiac Flavors from the Tree
Other flavorful aphrodisiacs include cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg, all from evergreen trees. Nutmeg is particularly intriguing: in small doses, it has long been thought to inspire lust. Before giving your loved one a nutmeg stew, be aware: the spice was also valued by mystics and many others as a hallucinogen.
The Allure of Vanilla
If sharp-tasting flavors won’t tempt that special someone, no fear. One of the tamest and arguably most delicious flavors is the vanilla. Even its story is intriguing. For centuries only hummingbirds and a particular type of bee could pollinate the Mesoamerican native, making it rare and esteemed. Then, in the mid-1800s, Edmond Albius, a 12-year-old French slave on the island of Reunion, discovered how to pollinate it by hand. Soon the plant found roots in gardens around the world
The aphrodisiac quality has much to do with its Vanilla, a member of the orchid family, has seductive looking pods. According to the folks at the UCLA Medical Library: “The Spaniards likened the bean pods to a little sheath or “vaina,” which is derived from the similar Latin word, vagina!”
Is Chocolate An Aphrodisiac?
Other botanicals renowned for their delicious and love-inspiring qualities include roses, whether tea, candied petals, or rose water….especially convincing in cocktails and other beverages. Perhaps the most renowned aphrodisiac is the warm, supple flavor that enrobes the vanilla, clove, ginger, and even rose flavors. I am speaking, of course, of chocolate. The emperor Montezuma supposedly drank great quantities of it for virility and power. A box of chocolates was required of male suitors in the late 1800s – a more or less gateway food to sex.
What of the chemical properties? Research reveals that nothing about chocolate’s chemistry can inspire chemistry in others. We just think it does. But don’t forget, the most powerful sexual organ is supposedly the mind. And a luscious box of chocolates can give you lots to think about.
