Organic Romantic: Produce Passion Through the Ages
For many years, I played a fun role as the Organic Romantic in columns, at natural food conferences, and even on my national radio show. It was so much fun throughout the year—and especially during this month of love—to discuss Valentine's Day dinner dilemmas and other produce department rendezvous with a myriad of curious produce lovers. I've even ventured to find out what people think are the most romantic fruits or vegetables—with wonderfully surprising results, I might add!
While I had fun and gave out some fresh ideas to spice up love lives, this is not a new idea by any means; love and produce have been intertwined since the beginning of time. So, I've decided to spend February reviving my old role and taking a historical stroll down the romantic produce aisle.
Since it's easy for us to recognize the potential for romantic interludes involving Melissa's organic fruit, such as succulent mangos or ripe, juicy strawberries, I say let's start with vegetables. How about Melissa's arugula? Going as far back as the first century, it was reported that the seeds of this nutty-flavored green were an aphrodisiac. Hmmm…maybe that's why it sells so quickly off the seed display each spring!
Moving down the rack, carrots have historically inspired spirited thoughts, and their consumption has been connected with stimulation. Middle Eastern royalty considered carrots to be an important seduction aid, believing they inspired a man's deepest fantasies. It was commonly held that both cooked and raw carrots could light the fires of passion to levels beyond compare. Speaking of roots: in Iran, it was believed that turnips cooked in milk were the cure for someone whose passion for love was waning.
Springtime staples such as artichokes and asparagus have their own place in romantic history. When King Henry II of France married Catherine de Medicis, she became the talk of the French court because of her extravagant fondness for artichokes. It wasn't just how many she ate that caused a bit of a scandal—the blooming veggie was widely believed to be an aphrodisiac, and it was considered socially unacceptable for a young queen to be so obsessed with, well, satiety. I wonder if the king minded? Asparagus had its own reputation in France in the 19th century. It was common practice for a bridegroom to eat three courses of warm asparagus before his wedding night because of its supposed amorous benefits.
Let's move over to the dry racks. Onions and garlic, essentials in everyone's kitchen pantry, have many sensual secrets hiding in their past. Onions are recommended in traditional Hindu books on the art of lovemaking, and priests in Egypt weren't allowed to eat them because of the lust they might generate. It sure makes you look at this kitchen staple in a different light, doesn't it? Garlic is no cold-hearted commodity either. The Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Chinese and Japanese all believed it to be a powerful aphrodisiac. In Talmudic tradition, it was thought to arouse such a strong sexual passion that men were forbidden to eat it on the Sabbath.
Another common spice, ginger, also has quite a reputation as a powerful aphrodisiac. The famous poem of health, Regimen Sanitatis Salerni, described it this way: "Hot ginger quenches thirst, revives, excites the brain, and in old age awakens young love again." Perhaps it may be prudent to add a few extra chaperones at the retirement center next time they have Thai food on the menu.
Finally, we arrive at one of my all-time favorites: basil. A wonderful-smelling herb that can draw admirers from anywhere in the store when its leaves are rubbed together, basil is said to produce a sense of well-being. Even more noteworthy—the herb is said to boost fertility and stimulate sex drive. Could that be why Melissa's pesto is so popular?
Moving down the rack, carrots have historically inspired spirited thoughts, and their consumption has been connected with stimulation. Middle Eastern royalty considered carrots to be an important seduction aid, believing they inspired a man's deepest fantasies. It was commonly held that both cooked and raw carrots could light the fires of passion to levels beyond compare. Speaking of roots: in Iran, it was believed that turnips cooked in milk were the cure for someone whose passion for love was waning.
Springtime staples such as artichokes and asparagus have their own place in romantic history. When King Henry II of France married Catherine de Medicis, she became the talk of the French court because of her extravagant fondness for artichokes. It wasn't just how many she ate that caused a bit of a scandal—the blooming veggie was widely believed to be an aphrodisiac, and it was considered socially unacceptable for a young queen to be so obsessed with, well, satiety. I wonder if the king minded? Asparagus had its own reputation in France in the 19th century. It was common practice for a bridegroom to eat three courses of warm asparagus before his wedding night because of its supposed amorous benefits.
Let's move over to the dry racks. Onions and garlic, essentials in everyone's kitchen pantry, have many sensual secrets hiding in their past. Onions are recommended in traditional Hindu books on the art of lovemaking, and priests in Egypt weren't allowed to eat them because of the lust they might generate. It sure makes you look at this kitchen staple in a different light, doesn't it? Garlic is no cold-hearted commodity either. The Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Chinese and Japanese all believed it to be a powerful aphrodisiac. In Talmudic tradition, it was thought to arouse such a strong sexual passion that men were forbidden to eat it on the Sabbath.
Another common spice, ginger, also has quite a reputation as a powerful aphrodisiac. The famous poem of health, Regimen Sanitatis Salerni, described it this way: "Hot ginger quenches thirst, revives, excites the brain, and in old age awakens young love again." Perhaps it may be prudent to add a few extra chaperones at the retirement center next time they have Thai food on the menu.
Finally, we arrive at one of my all-time favorites: basil. A wonderful-smelling herb that can draw admirers from anywhere in the store when its leaves are rubbed together, basil is said to produce a sense of well-being. Even more noteworthy—the herb is said to boost fertility and stimulate sex drive. Could that be why Melissa's pesto is so popular?
Boy, how time flies—and we never even made it to the fruit section! I've always said that a great produce department was the temptation leader of a great store. No wonder it's called fresh produce. I wonder if all of this sensual and alluring information were more widely known, you might find Melissa's online ordering and organic produce departments more of a draw for Valentine's Day shoppers than you'd expect. Anyway, if I were working in a produce department this month, I would be prepared to share more than just menu suggestions!
