Monthly Flavors for March – Prancing, Trotting, and Stomping Forward!
Time keeps plodding on, and we are walking the line. It is March! If you can’t tell, I have been having a lot of fun
February, the month of love! Valentine’s Day is here, and chocolate is in the air. This is the time to ply that special someone with sweets to show them how much you care (and possibly to see if they would be interested in going to bed with you). And hey, what is sexier than food? Food backed by science!
As I have done for the last few years, the theme this month is scientifically backed aphrodisiacs. I have linked all the papers I used, so please feel free to correct me anywhere I went wrong. This is one of the few months I do a fair amount of research on, and so I recognize I may have fallen out of the habit of reading and actually understanding scientific papers.
Apricot Jam with Fig Ganache
Apricots have been used as an aphrodisiac for many different cultures. Throughout Asia, the Middle East, and Europe there have been ideas of the apricot as a sexual stimulant and a labor inducer. Scientifically, the apricot has lycopene, an organic carotenoid that gives many fruits and vegetables a red color. Lycopene has been shown to help with sperm count in rats by helping protect from cyclosporine A-induced oxidative stress. Figs are a historical aphrodisiac – the resemblance to female anatomy and the abundance of seeds made the ancients Greeks believe it would increase a woman’s libido. I really like this chocolate texturally – the jam is thick and tart while the ganache adds a bit of texture with the fig seeds!
Date Caramel
Okay, this one is a little bit more of a stretch, but I couldn’t find a good source of date palm pollen in time. Plus, I needed this to taste good! But date palm pollen has been shown to increase many markers of male rats’ sexual function in an aqueous solution. This caramel is so luscious. The dates add this wonderful almost chewy texture and an earthy undertone.
Pomegranate Pâte de Fruits with Ginger Milk Chocolate Ganache
Pomegranate has a long history as an aphrodisiac (and is one of the most symbolic fruits to date)- like figs the abundance of seeds symbolized fertility. The science community eventually had to see what was going on, and discovered that it is a potent antioxidant. It can possibly help protect eggs from adrianycin-induced oxidative stress (adrianycin is a chemotherapeutic drug used in cancer treatment). It can also increase sperm count and motility! Ginger is a possible help for male erectile dysfunction. Together, these two powerhouses are sure to make you feel extraordinary! The pâte de fruit stayed tangy and tart, while the ganache is spicy and velvety. Divine!
Black Tea Ganache
Camellia sinensis, more commonly known as black tea, has been thought to be a male sexual stimulant in Sri Lankan traditional medicine. Studies have shown that mainly through reducing anxiety and elevating testosterone, black tea can help male sexual ejaculation latency. This ganache is a bit more subtle than some of the others on the list. The assam tea adds a bit of bitter earthiness backed by the dark chocolate, while the milk chocolate rounds it out and gives it a creamy boost.
Saffron Marzipan with Peach Ganache
The two big active chemicals in saffron are crocin and safranal. Surprisingly, when administered to rats, crocin was shown to be a fairly powerful aphrodisiac. Sadly, it has also been shown to not have a similar effect on human males. Peaches, like apricots, contain lycopene. Also like apricots, peaches have been a historical aphrodisiac throughout the ancient world. The marzipan is chewy and bright with saffron’s earthiness while the ganache is oozing with summery peaches. This one is one to be enjoyed slowly!
Nutmeg Coconut White Chocolate Ganache
Nutmeg has been in Unani medicine as a help for male sexual disorders since at least the 12th century. A study has shown this to be founded in fact – male rats given nutmeg extract were more likely to have multiple sexual partners. Coconut water has been shown to enhance reproductive functions in mice. I wanted to really show off nutmeg’s punchiness here – you get all the big floral notes with bitterness tempered by the white chocolate. The coconut adds in a grassy note that really pairs well.
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Raspberry and chocolate, what’s not to love? These decadent dark chocolate brownies are laced through with dehydrated raspberry powder. The berries add a wonderful tanginess to the chocolate, and these brownies are just so addictive. Good luck only eating one!
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Ruby chocolate is a naturally pink chocolate from Callebaut. Not only is the color striking, the flavor is quite unlike any other – very berry-like and tangy! The dark chocolate cookie dough is buttery and deeply chocolatey. Beautiful and delicious!
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Time keeps plodding on, and we are walking the line. It is March! If you can’t tell, I have been having a lot of fun