A touch of MAGIC

Because spice begets spiciness, ANNA MCCOOE looks at the traditional aphrodisiacs, which are still seducing diners today.

- ANNA MCCOOE

Cleopatra bathed in saffron-infused milk to send her lovers mad with desire and Casanova downed 50 oysters for breakfast each day for sexual prowess. Kirsten Tibballs – possibly the most seductive of the lot – prefers the loin stirring qualities of chocolate. The pastry chef and chocolatier from the Savour Chocolate & Patisserie School is one of many Australian chefs dabbling in alleged aphrodisiacs.

You don’t have to go the full 9 ½ Weeks to know food and sex go together like Kim Basinger and a 1986 Mickey Rourke (don’t let us keep you from your erotic foodie fantasies). Take, for example, chocolate, which Tibballs believes to have undeniable chemistry. “From a technical point, endorphins, dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin are four neurotransmitters that, when released from the brain, are responsible for our happiness. They are also released when we eat chocolate, which can replicate the feeling of being in love,” she says. “The melt-in-your-mouth texture followed by that pop of flavour also contribute.”

Like us, Tibballs isn’t here to dish out medical advice or push a wellness agenda, she just really loves chocolate in all its sensual glory. Her favourite dessert for sparking romance is a decadent chocolate lava cake – “a warm, baked chocolate pudding with a gooey chocolate centre that slowly flows out once you break into the dessert.” Technically, it is more saucy than spicy but it’s still utterly irresistible. “Even something as simple as melted chocolate drizzled over ice cream, enjoyed while cuddling on the couch, can set a romantic mood.”