Subscribe in a reader

Friday, February 13, 2009

Honey as an Aphrodisiac


The word aphrodisiac comes from the name of the Greek Goddess of sexual love and beauty, Aphrodite. Honey is also known as the nectar of Aphrodite. The nectar of Aphrodite, honey is one of the most seductive foods in the world. Sticky, runny, viscous, butter-texture, deliciously sweet, honey it is as much a sensual experience as it is a delicious indulgence. The kama Sutra, the perfumed Garden (ancient Arabic equivalent of Kama Sutra) and even the Bible mention honey as a symbol of love, sex and sensuality. No wonder we call the object of our affection 'Honey'! Avicenna, the great Arab physician (11th century) prescribed honey mixed with ginger and a little pepper to stimulate those love hormones! In ancient Persian Kingdoms, honey acted as a natural aphrodisiac that enhanced sexual performance indicators like virility and vitality. Honey has plenty of easily digestible sugar that can provide unlimited amount of energy.

Honey is a sweet fluid produced by honey bees and derived from the nectar of flowers. According to the United States National Honey Board and various international food regulations, "honey stipulates a pure product that does not allow for the addition of any other substance…this includes, but is not limited to, water or other sweeteners". This article refers exclusively to the honey produced by honey bees (the genus Apis); honey produced by other bees or other insects has very different properties.

Honey gets its sweetness from the monosaccharides fructose and glucose and has approximately the same relative sweetness as granulated sugar (97% of the sweetness of sucrose, a disaccharide). Honey has attractive chemical properties for baking, and a distinctive flavor which leads some people to prefer it over sugar and other sweeteners.

No comments:

Post a Comment