Erotic Edibles
Having a little trouble with your significant other? Do you want to add a little excitement to your relationship? Perhaps a gayuma or aphrodisiac might help set the mood and improve things with your inamorato. Named after Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of sexual love, aphrodisiacs are herbs, drinks, scents, or devices that increase libido or improve sexual performance—or so advertisements claim.
Aphrodisiacs in the Philippines
But why bother purchasing aphrodisiacs from the Internet or go all the way to Quiapo for bottled love herbs when you can probably pick them from a tree in your back yard? The Philippines, being a tropical, agricultural country, has a diverse array of flora—and this includes aphrodisiacs. The following is a list of fruits, food, and scents which are known to have aphrodisiac properties.
Avocado
The ancient Aztecs called the avocado tree “Ahuacuatl” which means “testicle tree” because they thought the fruit hanging in pairs on the tree resembled the male’s testicles. It is a delicious, green-colored fruit with a sensuous texture that is usually eaten plain or made into a shake.
Balut
A boiled egg containing duck embryo, it is a delicacy full of protein and nutrients. Filipinos believe it increases stamina and sex drive. Why else do you think balut vendors only come out at night?
Bananas
The banana is associated as an aphrodisiac because of the phallic shape of its flower. According to an Islamic myth, after Adam and Eve took a bite out of the apple, they clothed their naked bodies with banana leaves, not fig. In terms of its nutrition content, bananas are actually rich in potassium and B vitamins, which are fundamental in the production of sex hormones.
Carrots
Carrots are rich in vitamins and beta-carotene, but then here’s another good reason to eat them: they are believed to be a sexual stimulant for males. Since ancient times, its phallus shape has been identified with arousal, and was even used by Middle Eastern royalty to assist seduction.
Chocolate
The Aztecs referred to chocolate “nourishment of the Gods”. Chocolate has been found to contain Phenylethylamine and Seratonin, both of which are mood lifting agents. Both are naturally located in the human brain and are released by the brain into the nervous system when we are happy, as well as when we are experiencing feelings of love, passion and/or lust.
Durian
There’s a Malaysian saying that goes, “When the durians come down, the sarongs come off.” Durian is one of the most popular aphrodisiacs in Southeast Asia. It is not clear why, but some people attribute this to the fruit itself, the erotic sensuality of eating durian because of its silky-smooth texture and flavor
Honey
A lot of medicine in ancient Egypt contained honey, including remedies for sterility and impotence. Mead, a fermented drink made from honey, was used in medieval times to seduce lovers. Couples on their honeymoon drank it as well because it was believed to “sweeten” the marriage.
Luya (Ginger)
Luya is a root crop grown in many places in the Philippines. Whether it is consumed raw, cooked or crystallized, it is considered as a cure for impotence because of its warming properties and ability to stimulate the circulatory system.
Oysters
The Romans considered oysters as an aphrodisiac during the second century when Juvenal described the wanton ways of women after ingesting wine and oysters in a satire.
An additional theory is because oysters resemble female genitals.
Pineapple
Rich in vitamin C and and is used in the homeopathic treatment for impotence. Add a spear to a sweet Rum drink for a tasty prelude to an evening of passion.
Sili (Cayenne Pepper)
It sets your mouth on fire, makes your face look flushed, and causes your heart to race—all the sensations you feel after a passionate kiss or maybe even a quickie. It’s no wonder sili is the more popular choice among all the other love foods out there.
Ylang-Ylang
Its intensely sweet odor is distilled from droopy yellow flowers from the ylang-ylang tree. In low doses, the scent can be used as an aphrodisiac.
But do they really work?
Those who adhere to the philosophy that consuming certain food will spice up their sex life are bound to be disappointed in the end. The Food and Drug Administration says that the reputed effects of so-called aphrodisiacs are based in folklore, not fact. The most you can expect to happen after a dose of your favorite aphrodisiac is a faster heart rate and a warm sensation, a lot similar to what you feel after drinking a cup of coffee. This can be attributed to the vitamin content of the fruit, food, or vegetable.
Most sexual problems are psychological in nature, and aphrodisiacs only bring about a placebo effect. Since no studies have been made because of certain cultural taboos and most reports on their effectiveness are anecdotal, there is no scientific basis that aphrodisiacs do actually work. “The mind is the most potent aphrodisiac there is,” says John Renner, founder of the Consumer Health Information Research Institute. “It’s very difficult to evaluate something someone is taking because if you tell them it’s an aphrodisiac, the hope of a certain response might actually lead to an additional sexual reaction.”
Take it with a grain of salt
And no, I don’t mean that you should consume the aphrodisiac with a sprinkling of salt. There is no harm in trying the gayumas mentioned above as they don’t contain chemicals or strange animal body parts. Who knows—they might even work for you, and introducing something new is always good in a relationship. But don’t depend on them entirely in order to have a successful romantic encounter. Remember that the most important sex organ lies in between the ears. Make the most out of your imagination, be as spontaneous and natural as possible, and just enjoy the time you have with your significant other.
