10 Perfectly Normal Foods That Were Once Considered Aphrodisiacs

Throughout history, people have been drawn to things that promise them youth, longevity and fertility. Many products on supermarket shelves today promise the same things. A key difference between modern times and the past is that science has given people a way to see if something is really effective or not. Before this, there was a lot more pseudoscience and snake oil being promoted as a solution to people’s insecurities.

For example, almost every food is linked to it improvement of libido at some point in the past. Today there are still many. Could everything ever eaten really be an aphrodisiac? No evidence proves anything except that alcohol increases desire, but it can also decrease a person’s libido. The rest are just normal foods, and some are quite far removed from what could be considered ‘sexy’.

So here are ten perfectly normal foods that were historically thought to be aphrodisiacs, and the stories of how they got their reputation.

Related: Top 10 Bizarre Ways Food Was Discovered

10 Beans

Still a staple of many diets, the humble bean comes in many varieties and has been cultivated for thousands of years. But centuries before they became Hannibal Lecter’s famous side dish, they were thought to be an aphrodisiac. They had this reputation in early modern England, roughly between the 16th and 18th centuries. During this time, there were four main ways in which food could be considered an aphrodisiac.

There were foods that felt warm or warmed the body, foods that were thought to be particularly nutritious, and foods that fell under the “doctrine of signatures,” that is, they resembled certain parts of the body. The final category was the very unsexy sounding ‘flatulent flesh’. These were foods that caused flatulence, such as beans. It was thought that the same air emitted when people passed wind also inflated men in preparation for the bedroom. Beans and peas were prescribed to men who had problems in this department. ^[1]

9 Mustard

One food thought to have the aphrodisiac from the heat was mustard. The sensation comes from the mustard plant’s natural defense mechanism, which releases compounds called isothiocyanates to irritate and poison pests that try to eat the plant. The dazzling “bite” people feel when they eat mustard happens when these compounds come into contact with pain-stimulating proteins in their mouths. The intensity is tempered by other ingredients, such as vinegar.

People have enjoyed this effect since ancient times. The Romans even grew mustard throughout Gaul, modern-day France, once they conquered it. When monastic communities emerged throughout Europe, they took over its production. Well, at least some of them. While many of these holy men refined and perfected the production of mustard, other monks believed it to be an aphrodisiac. Not wanting to be tempted to stray from their chaste path, many of these monks forbade themselves from eating or making the seasoning.^[2]

8 Potatoes

While monks did their best to avoid aphrodisiacs, those who led less spiritual lives were willing to gobble them up. A reflection of this can be found in Shakespeare’s play The Merry Women of Windsor. In the play, Shakespeare’s regular comic character, John Falstaff, is a hapless wannabe Lothario. Although his intentions and actions are not exactly godly, when he meets the women in the forest, he prays for what at first seems like a very strange request. “Let the sky rain potatoes,” he says.

Despite the character’s love of food and drink, he doesn’t mean this literally. What he’s really asking for is success and, more importantly, competence among the ladies. The expression would have made perfect sense to Shakespeare and his contemporaries, because in the 16th and 17th centuries potatoes were widely believed to have aphrodisiac properties. Falstaff was probably referring to sweet potatoes, which had been around much longer than the white potatoes that arrived later from America.^[3]

7 Carrots

Many people were told as children that carrots were good for their eyes or would help them see in the dark. However, the ancient Greeks and Romans would have heard that they were indeed good for something completely different, but probably not when they were children. Carrots, like most vaguely phallic vegetables, were thought to be an aphrodisiac that eased the inhibitions of people who ate enough of them. Before the medieval doctrine of signatures, the shape of the vegetables was not a strict rule; the Romans also thought that cucumbers cooled your desires.

But the effect of carrots was widely accepted in ancient times. Caligula, the notoriously lecherous Roman emperor, believed it. It is said that he once forcibly fed carrots to the Senate so that they would be overwhelmed by their desires and disgrace themselves before him. Roman soldiers were also known to cook a root broth for the females they captured.^[4]

6 Eggplant

Using this fruit – yes, fruit – as a visual euphemism is hardly a new idea, and it certainly didn’t start with smartphones. In fact, it is not unique to Western cultures either; the similarity to the male organ can be found in Korean literature and Japanese haikus. Beliefs about its aphrodisiac effects have been found throughout history in Asia, Africa and Europe. In 16th century France it was even known as ‘pomme d’amour’ or ‘love apple’. But the belief in its aphrodisiac effects was probably not based solely on its appearance, nor was this the only effect it would have.

Eggplants belong to the same family as deadly nightshade, which is very poisonous and can have really strong effects. The same applies to the love apples, which also belong to the same family. Although eggplants had been cultivated for thousands of years and were widely eaten throughout Asia, many cultures believed that the fruit also had some side effects. It is sometimes thought that eggplants are not only an aphrodisiac, but also stimulate the appetite, cause fever, drive people crazy and even cause leprosy.^[5]

5 Parsnip

Anyone who has ever eaten parsnips with honey probably didn’t realize that what they were eating used to be a luxury. In ancient times, the patricians of Rome enjoyed the sweetened vegetables. One person said to have been particularly fond of them was Emperor Tiberius. The story goes that the emperor, after getting a taste for it in Germany, had parsnips imported to Rome and accepted them as part of the tribute that the Germanic tribes had to pay him.

However, the taste of parsnips may not have been the only thing the Romans enjoyed. Like carrots, their shape may have reminded people of something else, and over time these too came to be considered aphrodisiacs. Not only the Romans thought this way. In 17th century England, they were one of several foods believed to help in the bedroom and that could be prescribed to married couples.^[6]

4 Almonds

Parsnips were traditionally used to sweeten meals, but when sugar came on the scene, it became the sweetener of choice. Sugar is more versatile and can be used for smaller foods such as almonds. The result is Jordan almonds, also known as ‘dragees’ or ‘Italian confetti’. These are candy-coated almonds, which are often associated with weddings. Although the origin of the name ‘Jordan’ is disputed, with some saying it comes from the French for ‘garden’ and others claiming it refers to the Jordan River in Palestine, it is no mystery why the sweet snack is associated with weddings.

In many Middle Eastern countries, almonds are thought to be an aphrodisiac. This is part of the reason why Jordan almonds are given as gifts to newlyweds in certain cultures. But the way they are presented also has symbolic meaning for the happy couple. They are often given in bags of five, because five is an indivisible number. And each almond represents one of the guest’s wishes for the newlyweds: health, children, wealth, longevity and happiness.^[7]

3 Coconuts

Cacao is a food that has long been believed to increase cravings, and many people still believe this today. Coconuts, on the other hand, are not generally considered an aphrodisiac. But there is evidence that they occurred at a surprising time: in medieval Germany. Unlike the memorable scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grailwhere King Arthur tries to explain how his servant came into possession of coconuts, the fruits were found throughout Europe in the Middle Ages.

They were imported from India and were especially popular in England. They were used in medicine, but were especially sought after for their shells, which were used to make cups and beakers. These were popular from the 13th century. As exotic items, it is no surprise that they were originally thought to have magical properties. It was thought that in addition to arousing desire, they could also detect poison.^[8]

2 Salad

To the ancient Egyptians, lettuce was not the simple salad staple that it is today. It had a special place in their society, so much so that they painted it on the walls of tombs more than 4,000 years ago. It is even mentioned in myths about their gods. It was said to be the food of Min, the Egyptian god of fertility. In paintings, Min is a man usually depicted as “ready for action,” and the Egyptians believed that it was lettuce that helped him stay that way and never tire. Why?

Like many other so-called aphrodisiacs, this was due to its appearance. It becomes straight, long and strong. When part of a romaine lettuce is broken off, a white milky liquid comes out. The jury is still out on whether it can really make people perform tirelessly in the bedroom or whether they will suddenly want to go there, but it is rich in vitamin A, which is good for the reproductive systems of both sexes.^[9]

1 Beer

Why have people always thought that some foods were aphrodisiacs? One possibility is the placebo effect. They hear and believe that certain foods will have an effect, so when they eat them, they do. It is also possible that all foods can have some kind of aphrodisiac effect. When food is scarce, an individual’s desire to reproduce is likely to decrease, an effect also seen in other species. So the opposite could also be true. Nevertheless, current scientific evidence supports only one common substance linked to arousal. It’s no surprise that it’s alcohol.

However, the aphrodisiac effect may have weakened over the years, especially in the case of beer. Before the 18th century, beer in Europe was flavored with a combination of herbs called gruit instead of hops. The ingredients in gruit varied depending on where it was made, but sometimes included stimulating herbs, making the beer considered an aphrodisiac. The hops that eventually, and almost universally, replaced gruit were thought to have the opposite effect.^[10]