Probably the first recorded reference to aphrodisiacs comes from undated Egyptian medical papyri believed to be from the Middle Kingdom, which flourished between 2200 and 1700 BCE.
Aphrodisiacs are mentioned in countless volumes of the world’s sacred texts – ancient narratives are filled with glowing accounts of aphrodisiac foods and potions. By the time of the golden age of Greece, their use was fairly commonplace.
The Romans were also intimately familiar with the art of culinary seduction and the use of oils and perfumes.
Aphrodisiac lore passed from the Roman to the early Christian era, through the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, and to modern times.
There are currently 7 Aphrodisiacs in this directory beginning with the letter A.
ABSINTHE (Artemisia absinthium)
Absinthe ( is a liqueur made in France manufactured from a bushy plant with silky stems and small yellow flowers, and is compounded of marjoram, oil of aniseed, and other aromatic oils. Artemisia absinthium, known as wormwood, was used to banish demons and was associated with the rites of St. John’s Eve, when a crown of the plant was made to protect against evil spirits. Although absinthe has been considered a sexual stimulant, in large quantities it leads to impotence and insanity.
ABUTA (Cissampelos pareira)
Abuta is a beautiful woody vine, also known as “ice vine” or “velvet leaf,” which climbs high over trees in the West Indies and South America. The dried root and bark are taken orally and contain a variety of isoquinoline alkaloids that have great benefit for all with low sex drive, irregular menstruation, or childbirth problems. In Ecuador it is called the midwife herb and is reputed to reawaken an interest in sex after childbirth.
ACORUS CALAMUS
An aromatic herb that was called “sweet flag” in the Middle Ages. To ancient Romans, it was associated with many erotic practices and was known as the Venus plant.
AGAVE (Agave americana)
The many different species of agave are found in Central and South America. In Mexico they add the seeds of the thorn apple “datura” or the “ololiuqui vine” (turbina corymbosa) to the drink. Tequila is distilled from Agave tequilana other species are used in making a schnapps called mescal. In Oaxaca, a grub that lives in the agave stalk is often added to the beverage to increase sexual desire. It was widely used in pre-Columbian times as a medicine or tea and in religious ceremonies.
ALCOHOL
Alcohol with sugar was used to promote the amorous feelings of King Louis XIV. In some European countries, it was a folk custom to offer a bride and bridegroom cakes moistened with sugar or honey and alcohol. Francis I of France was also known for his cultivated taste and sexual prowess. He was notorious for the number of his lovers, but died of exhaustion from his excess of alcoholic aphrodisiacs.
ALSTONIA (Alstonia scholaris)
This tree is also known as “dita,” “bitter bark,” “devil’s tree,” “pale mara,” and “chatim.” It grows in the rainforests of India, Ceylon, and Borneo. The bark was used as parchment by Asian scholars, leading to the name scholaris. The bark and seeds have also been used in Asian folk medicine for centuries. Myth says that it can prolong an erection and delay orgasm.
AMBERGRIS
Ambergris is a waxy substance found in tropical seas, believed to be the secretion in the intestines of the sperm whale. In seventeenth-century France, courtiers and roués customarily nibbled chocolates covered with ambergris. Madame du Barry used ambergris as a perfume to retain the affection of Louis XV. According to one authority, three grains of ambergris are sufficient to produce lustful desires and to restore the fatigue of old age or overindulgence.
Comments are closed.