Epicurean Erotica

Barking up the right tree?

You can be forgiven for assuming animal derivatives work best to, er, bring out the animal in you, but here’s a plant extract with the potency that had African tribesmen going in mating rituals lasting seven to ten days! The bark extract of the Yohimbe tree, native to tropical Africa, with its chemical version, Yohimbine, has been proven to be a powerful sexual stimulant as also mighty useful in the treatment of sexual dysfunction. According to Dr Ray Sahelian, nutrition and natural healing expert, “Currently yohimbe bark extracts are sold in varying alkaloid concentrations, ranging from plain powder, to 4% extract, 8%, and up to 20%. The higher the concentration of yohimbe extract, the more potent the product will be, and the more likely side effects will occur, some of which include anxiety, changes in blood pressure, palpitations, visual disturbances, and nausea. It is dosage dependent and I do not recommend this herb to anyone over the age of 65.” Since the tree dies after being stripped of its bark and then it takes about 10 years to replenish itself, there is already a black market in place for this wonder herb.

Organ for organ


Could it be a coincidence that the name of the blue pill sounds uncomfortably close to the Sanskrit word for tiger, and that is ‘Vyaghrah’? If you knew that Chinese traditional medicine recommends partaking of tiger penis towards better performance in bed, you may see a link there.

Sounds something like saying you buy a Ferrari and be sure of acing Formula 1 the next day! The appetite for its organ in addition to a whole host of other tiger parts has only left their numbers in the wild floundering and really no other scientifically proven improvement in the male sex drive. Besides, spending close to $4000 on that one dish might just work as turn-off, won’t it?

Fin for the little swimmers?

Shark fin is a status staple, meaning it is served at most Chinese expensive-affair dos. Of course the cruelty of the finning industry has led to fewer and fewer patrons each year, but it certainly remains more common than tiger tart. Starchy and chewy, this soup too is considered a curative for reduced desire and vigour (and you thought you had heard the best and last of Chinese medicine with tiger penis!) The dish is relatively easy to find in restaurants around the world, but increasingly feverish campaign like the one by Chinese basketball star Yao Ming has led many to boycott it. The green peaceniks would have you know that far from beneficial, the fins have a rather high concentration of mercury, making it perilous for consumption. Potato minestrone sounds better…

Hisss and hers!

Glug glug glug on some snake blood, anyone..? Some literal Bloody Mary, if you will. In parts of China, Vietnam and Taiwan, warm snake blood – drained off the reptile after its head is lopped off even as you watch, for it tends to congeal fast – is considered an aperitif with aphrodisiac potencies. Says Malaysian native Poh Huai Bin – a fervent traveler with a blogsite where he describes sampling, among other savouries, dog meat and rat stew – “Snake blood is commonly mixed with a very strong local distilled spirit made from rice wine and downed in a single shot. Tastes very strongly of iron. The Chinese believe that drinking snake blood will cure a whole host of ailments and the snake blood, gall and heart ‘fortifies’ a person by making them ‘braver’.” According to studies, snake venom is effective against inflammatory disorders apart from being a cancer inhibitor. But then so is garlic. Unless standing witness to ‘cold-blooded’ slaughter towards slaking sexual prowess is your kind of thing. Avoidable, we say.

  

High and my tea


India, along with a certain other red-flag neighbour, consumes the most amount of tea in the world. In fact, that mythological life-giving herb, Sanjeevani, sourced by monkey-God Hanuman to bring Lakshmana back from the dead, may well have been a variety of tea, according to some sources.Capable of making this brew more potent still is a fleshy root called Ginseng. Immunity and energy booster, Ginseng Tea is known to lessen the risk of cancer, as also enhance libido and the mental faculties. More from Tea master Gaurav Saria, owner of four tea estates in Bengal as well as India’s first tea bar, Infinitea, “Ginseng Tea has a sharp, coppery taste with a strong aftertaste and a bright yellow appearance. Its taste is usually described by Chinese drinkers as “golden”. Generally speaking, ginseng tea is prized as an adaptogen – that is, it is a product that increases a body’s resistance to stress, while doing no harm.” However a quick rejoinder follows on that the magic potion is only to complement primary treatment, and not to be used as a primary cure.

As for making it, Saria calls for 2-3 gms of Ginseng which is roughly equivalent to 5-8 slices of the root or one teabag or one teaspoon of the powder. The tea has to be steeped for a good four to five minutes before drinking. The longer you do, the stronger the brew. Cheers! 

Last word:

Whatever happened to pure desire and man-woman chemistry?! Must you have to rely on some hapless species to get going? Turn to “Are you fit for sex?” on Page 11 to prepare for some DIY action.