The Gateway to Love: a Cup of Tea

Did you know that in some cultures tea is considered an aphrodisiac and is even drank during love making? Under the Ming dynasty in China, tea developed into a positive ritual symbolizing poetry and beauty: a cup of tea became the mirror of the soul. Japanese treat tea as the drink of immortality which had to be brewed in accordance with a very precise ceremonial, making each gesture and each mouthful both an initiation and a poetic ecstasy. When tea began to make its way west in the 17th century, a doctor of Corsican origin, Simon Paoli, tasted it and exclaimed that it should be banned because it was too 'intoxicating'.

Vanilla Bean: The scent and flavor of vanilla is believed to increase lust, which is why it is so common in perfumes. The German physicist Bezaar Zimmermann states in his book, On Experiences, published in 1762, that more than 342 men who had been declared impotent became model lovers after having drunk his vanilla-based decoctions. Even now, in certain regions of Central and South America, including Mexico, Argentina and Venezuela, men try to recapture their former vigor by soaking a few vanilla beans in a glass of tequila or another white alcohol for almost a month.

Gingerroot Slices: It is widely known that gingerroot stimulates the circulatory system. Avicenna, the great Arab physician from the 11th century prescribed honey mixed with ginger and a little pepper to stimulate sexuality. French legend Madame du Barry made a practice of serving ginger to her lovers. It was said to drive all, including her most famous lover, Louis XV, to a state of complete and utter submissiveness. A faculty of medicine founded in Salerno Italy by four legendary physicians produced a collection of precepts of hygiene and diet and spoke of ginger's aphrodisiac qualities:
    "Within the stomach, loins, and in the lung
    Praise of hot ginger rightly may be sung.
    It quenches thirst, revives, excites the brain
    And in old age awakes young love again."

Whole Cloves: Cloves are also a stimulating spice. Its sensual qualities date back as far as 1497 where a king in Kenya spoke: if you are going to the East for the merchandise it produces, if you want cinnamon, cloves and those various aromatics which encourage lust by feeding pleasure... you shall find them in such abundance that you need only content yourself here and go no farther."

Honey: Medicines in Egyptian times were based on honey including cures for sterility and impotence. Medieval seducers plied their partners with mead, a fermented concoction made from honey. Lovers on their "Honeymoon" drank mead and it was thought to "sweeten" the marriage. Galen (2nd century), physician to the Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius recommended honey taken at bedtime. Sie Shonagon (14th century), the Japanese authoress, lists honey as a favored aphrodisiac. Sheikh Nefzawi (16th century), author of the notorious sex manual, "The Perfumed Garden", recommended having pine kernels mixed with honey before love making.

Put these alluring ingredients together and you not only have a passion potion, but a very delicious tea as well. Now you know the gateway to love is just a cup of tea away.

This week at Health On Point, stop by for a complementary cup of tea. In addition all teas are 15% off! Not only will we be offering our usual all organic, hand blended teas, but a tiger spice chai blend AND a new limited edition blend - AMOUR.