10 weirdest erotic foods

Romantic Valentine's dinners are often laden with aphrodisiacs. But it's
not all about chocolates and oysters. Here are ten of the strangest
foods believed to get pulses racing.

Porridge oats
We Brits eat 47 million gallons of porridge each winter, and according
to some, it could raise pulses in the bedroom. Experts have found that
oats (avena sativa) help to free locked testosterone in the body,
rebalancing levels of the hormone and increasing sex drive.

Durian fruit
This prickly fruit grows in South and East Asia. When cut the smell of its flesh has been compared to rotten onions or even manure. Despite this, it is believed to increase sex drive. According to one Indonesian proverb, "the durian fruit falls and the sarongs come up". But there may be some scientific fact behind this. A study at Bharathiar University in India found that the fruit contains oestrogen, claiming that it could increase fertility. Durian fruit can be bought at UK Chinese supermarkets, and is made into candy, biscuits or cooked with coconut milk and spices.

Snake's blood
In Vietnam and Thailand, fresh snake's blood is considered a sexual tonic. The snake's heart can be swallowed at the same time, and often the green bile from the gallbladder is also added to the drink. Eating snake for medicinal reasons has roots in ancient China, and it is thought that its reputation as an aphrodisiac is linked more to the belief that the drinker absorbs the snake's physical power rather than through scientific fact.

Goji berries
These small, pointed berries contain more vitamin C than oranges and
more iron than steak. In ancient China and Tibet they were considered a
health food, and modern research confirms this. A 2008 study by Amagase
and Nance found that after drinking goji juice for 14 days, people
reported a greater sense of wellbeing, less stress and reduced
tiredness. A 2006 study at China's Wuhan University credits the berries
with increasing sexual performance and sperm quality - but so far only
with rats.

Licorice
The Karma Sutra refers to the erotic power of
licorice, recommending potions made from it for "sexual vigour". But it
has been found to stir emotions in modern times. A study by Chicago's
Smell and Taste Research Foundation found that when people sniffed
licorice, they experienced raised blood flow to the genitals. Licorice
was mingled with scents including doughnuts and cola and accounted for
three of the top ten blood-pumping smells in the study.

Unagi or eel
Eel has been eaten in Japan for the last 1,300 years. Thought to stimulate passions, it is traditionally eaten on the hottest day of the year. Its sexual benefits seem to be linked only to the eel's long, phallic shape. Despite a lack of research into unagi's aphrodisiac effects, the Japanese eat thousands of tons of it each year.

Sea cucumber
The Chinese name for sea cucumber is 'sea
ginseng', a reference to its reputed aphrodisiac benefits. Sea cucumbers
are mostly eaten in Asia, and in 2006 it was estimated by SEAFDEC that
the export market in the Philippines was worth around £3m. Research is
currently ongoing into sea cucumber's nutritional benefits, but the
belief that it stirs the passions is probably due to its phallic-shaped
appearance and behaviour - it stiffens and squirts out liquid when under
threat.

Mucuna pruriens
The beans of this leafy vine are eaten in
Nigeria where they are cooked in soups or ground into flour. They are
also reputed to boost sex drive. Research at India's Manipal University
found that rats administered with mucuna showed increased sexual
activity. It has also been claimed that mucuna could be used as a
treatment to help prevent premature ejaculation.

Fugu or pufferfish
The Japanese devour around 10,000 tons of
fugu each year, even though parts of the fish contain poison which, if
consumed, can be fatal. Although fugu is believed to be an aphrodisiac,
the heightened emotions could be down to adrenalin in this game of
culinary roulette. Some have questioned whether it's the poison tingling
in the cheeks that gets pulses racing, which led Yutaka Sasaki, a sushi
chef of 30 years, to tell the New York Times, "if you're eating fugu
and your lips feel numb, you're well on your way to being dead".

Goat's meat
Not an unusual meat in itself, goat is popular in
diets around the world. But goat's meat is believed by some cultures to
be an aphrodisiac. Mannish Water is a spicy Jamaican stew containing
goat's head and feet and has been served to grooms on their wedding day
to ignite passions. Although there are no studies into the benefits of
eating goat, it is a good source of iron and zinc - vital for a healthy
reproductive system.