The Hunt for an Edible Equivalent of Viagra - NYTimes.com By SARAH KERSHAW
Published: February 9, 2010
COUPLES hoping to bring Valentine?s Day dinner to a satisfying conclusion may be tempted by the special menu offered by One if by Land, Two if by Sea in Manhattan and, in particular, the Black Forest dessert. It?s a chocolate pistachio brownie bar with chocolate meringue sticks, cr?me fra?che ice cream, cherry gel and sweet cherries. But beware! One study found that the scent of cherries significantly decreases sexual arousal in women.
Foods considered to be aphrodisiacs include avocado, asparagus, chocolate and licorice. More Photos ?
There is another issue with the Black Forest ? and the gazillions of other forms of chocolate that will be consumed this weekend: chocolate?s reputation as an aphrodisiac is highly exaggerated, food researchers say. Romantic and deeply pleasurable, yes, especially because of its tendency to melt in the mouth at body temperature. And yes, it does contain some chemicals like phenylethylamine, which produce feelings of euphoria. Yet one widely cited study showed that a 130-pound person would have to eat 25 pounds of chocolate in one sitting to significantly alter the mood. But who would be in the mood after eating 19.2 percent of her weight in chocolate?
Published: February 9, 2010
COUPLES hoping to bring Valentine?s Day dinner to a satisfying conclusion may be tempted by the special menu offered by One if by Land, Two if by Sea in Manhattan and, in particular, the Black Forest dessert. It?s a chocolate pistachio brownie bar with chocolate meringue sticks, cr?me fra?che ice cream, cherry gel and sweet cherries. But beware! One study found that the scent of cherries significantly decreases sexual arousal in women.
Foods considered to be aphrodisiacs include avocado, asparagus, chocolate and licorice. More Photos ?
There is another issue with the Black Forest ? and the gazillions of other forms of chocolate that will be consumed this weekend: chocolate?s reputation as an aphrodisiac is highly exaggerated, food researchers say. Romantic and deeply pleasurable, yes, especially because of its tendency to melt in the mouth at body temperature. And yes, it does contain some chemicals like phenylethylamine, which produce feelings of euphoria. Yet one widely cited study showed that a 130-pound person would have to eat 25 pounds of chocolate in one sitting to significantly alter the mood. But who would be in the mood after eating 19.2 percent of her weight in chocolate?
