University of Memphis students hoping for a spicy Valentine'sDay shouldn't rely on Saturday's menu to set the mood.
Although many people associate foods like oysters, chocolate andchampagne with altering libidos, local experts and some U of Mstudents disagree with that notion.
"I've never experienced stimulation from eating any particularfood," said Troy Wiggins, Uof M freshman. "For me, it's the personthat's the aphrodisiac."
Wiggins isn't far off, according to local experts.
Culinary professionals now attribute the allure of allegedaphrodisiacs to the actual tastes and textures of foods orbeverages.
"The bubbles in champagne, the saltiness and texture of caviaror the taste of a raw oyster -- they all create a sensation andvision in the mind when eating them," said Karen Noriega, cookingschool director at the Viking Culinary Arts Center.
Certain meals can affect mood states, said Andrew Adams, chef decuisine at Wally Joe Restaurant in Memphis. Some dishes, like spicyfoods, can stimulate nerves on the tongue, causing the brain torelease endorphins. But hearty foods rich in butter or cream canhave the opposite effect, he said.
However, none of the myths surrounding certain foods are of anyconsequence unless you enjoy them with someone else, Adamssaid.
"A perfect meal or entire dining experience, whether it beprepared at home or in a restaurant, can be an aphrodisiac initself," he said.
Modern psychology attributes most of these stimulating effectsto conditioning of the dopamine system in the brain and itsresponse to certain activators.
"Most compounds that enhance mood states are associated withsexual stimulation," said U of M associate psychology professorCharles Blaha. "Certain substances, like chocolate, have appetitivequalities. These are rewarding properties. They taste good, andthey make you feel good."
Psychologists and chefs agree the reactions people have, orthink they have, to certain foods are psychological rather thanchemical.
"People go out, eat oysters, drink champagne, and sometimes theyget lucky," Noriega said. "Afterwards, they probably associate sexwith those foods."
