National Oyster Day – Aphrodisiacs and Pearl Necklaces!
by Carnal Queen
Yep, you read that right. Today is apparently National Oyster Day in the USA! Do you like oysters?
Is it me, or do we have awareness days and weeks for just about anything these days? There’s a day for cats, one for dogs (obviously, we can’t discriminate between the fur-babies), and I’m pretty sure there’s probably a “celebrate my big toe” kinda day somewhere on this glorious globe we call home. Some are serious and do a fantastic job at highlighting important subjects and issues, and others are more light-hearted fun … today, we’re doing oysters!
Personally, I’m not a fan. I’m not usually one to judge a book by its cover, but for oysters I’ll make an exception. I’ve never tried one, and honestly, I never intend to. There’s just something about the thought of tipping my head back and letting one of the slimy mollusks slip down my throat that makes me want to vomit. Seeing someone eat one on the TV is enough to make me sit there and gag. They might be lovely, and maybe I’m missing out on something utterly divine, but I’m happy to exclude myself totally from this particular delicacy.
That being said, the fact that I don’t want to eat those salty little sea critters, doesn’t mean that I can’t appreciate them. So today, on National Oyster Day, I’m going to appreciate them for the wonderful job they do of producing beautiful pearls. Pearls are one of my birthstones, and I spent years hating them (they made me think of Grandmothers and lacy handkerchiefs), but in recent years I’ve grown to love them. They’re all unique, they’re all beautiful no matter what their colour, and they come in all shapes and sizes …
When you think of oysters, you might think of champagne, caviar and the high life, but that’s not the only thing that this highly regarded shellfish is renowned for – oysters are aphrodisiacs.
Aphrodisiacs are substances that increase your sexual desire, that can boost your sexual pleasure and make changes (for the better) in your sexual behaviour. They’re like a legal sexual high, and they earn their reputation as sex champions by either working on your hormones, your blood flow, or your brain, and some even enhance fertility in men and women … potentially powerful stuff, hey?
There are lots of things that can be classified as being an aphrodisiac. Some of the more well known ones are of course oysters, but chocolate, coffee, almonds and chilli peppers are right up there with them. Others include avocados, ginger, maca, strawberries, pomegranates, and oddly, even watermelon – 92% water, 6% sugar and 100% sexual oomph! Interestingly, that particular aphrodisiac reportedly works by relaxing blood vessels in the groin area with its enzymes … how bizarre!
Have you ever introduced aphrodisiacs into your love-making? Even if you don’t really believe in their powers, you’ve not got much to lose by giving them a go. It can be fun to play around with food and sex, and what better way to do it than with the kind of foods that not only taste great, but ones that can add to the sexual spice. We’ve dabbled with some of them over the years, but perhaps a sexy picnic is in order some time soon! Food for thought, isn’t it?