If you’re planning a romantic dinner that you hope will turn into a breakfast date, you’ll want to prepare a menu that inspires flirtatious dining. Forget oysters; they’re too hackneyed, for a start. Secondly, you can get their reputed zinc boost from other foods and thirdly, the only decent way to serve them is wrapped in bacon and fried, because then they taste of bacon.
And remember, very few foods that enjoy aphrodisiac reputations have been scientifically proven to have any effect on the human libido. That makes less difference when you realise that the brain is the seat of attraction, whether unconsciously through pheromones or consciously through flirtatious behaviour.
In other words, food that has a reputation for lascivious effects, food that looks sexy on the plate and food that can be eaten flirtatiously can all be effective components in your culinary wooing. If you want to create an evening of irresistible tastes and textures, you need to pay attention to all three elements.
Food For Flirting
Shape and texture matter in this department. Asparagus contains healthy amounts of folate and vitamin E, which some claim boosts arousal. Fresh and steamed al dente in a light but thick sauce, it’s also perfect for suggestive nibbling. Make sure the sauce is thick enough to cling to each spear, though, or anything more adventurous will stain clothing.
Stuffed chilli peppers and figs are excellent additions to a romantic menu. Apart from containing healthy compounds said to increase libido, they lend themselves to seductive feed-your-partner moments.
Juicy, succulent strawberries have much the same appeal, although bananas might tip the mood from “suggestive” to “farce”. Both fruits make great flirtatious desserts when you add chocolate and whipped cream to the mix, however…
Sexy-Looking Food
Strawberries and figs are natural winners in this category too, and they are just as good for munching on when enjoying a bit of sports betting online in NZ too. But creating romance is partly about showing another person you care about them; what you cook and how you plate it is the most important part of that ambience.
So, all the courses on your menu should feature dishes that neither one of you have every day, and which take some dedication to prepare. If they also contain ingredients with a naughty reputation, so much the better.
Similarly, arranging the food on the plate so that it looks appetising and welcoming is another way to make a date special. You don’t have to be a chef; there are plenty of foodie sites available to give you ideas and step-by-step recipes.
Foods With Fizz… Allegedly
All the foods mentioned so far have been used as physical aphrodisiacs, but none have been confirmed by peer-reviewed science. The same applies to avocados, nutmeg, pomegranates, ginseng, almonds, pistachios, ginger, gingko biloba, beetroot, truffles, pine nuts, saffron, coffee, honey, arugula, artichokes, maca root or fenugreek.
Some studies do indicate promising possibilities for several of them, but study sizes have been too small for definitive data. That said, they can all be featured in some decadent dinner recipes, so they certainly can’t hurt your chances of a romantic evening, barring an unsuspected allergy.