Thursday, October 22, 2015

A Recipe for Sex – A Spear or Two Please


 
 
 
Spring time and fresh asparagus appear. Europe is a buzz with delight over the appearance of this sensual vegetable. Known as an aphrodisiac both because of its shape and because of its nutrient value, the fresh asparagus of spring is a delicious experience.

I’ve previously written about asparagus and its virtues as a sexual vegetable. It falls into that reference first through the signature of Doctrines which states that if something looks like something it must be good for that something. Asparagus has a phallic look which accounts for its portrayal as something good for erections which equates to good sex for both men and women.

Asparagus is also a very nutritious food. It is high in aspartic acid, an amino acid that neutralizes the excess ammonia which lingers in the body and makes us tired and sexually disinterested.  Scientists claim experiments with potassium and magnesium salts of aspartic acid have helped people to overcome exhaustion and sexual disinterest. Asparagus is also high in vitamin E, which is needed to produce the sex hormones.

Emperors, kings and even the Kama Sutra praise the asparagus as a  sexual stimulant. Poems have been written and movies have been made depicting the asparagus as a love food and phallic symbol.

In America we usually eat the green asparagus, while in Europe and most notably, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France it is the white asparagus that is the delight of the dinner table. In spring time all of northern Europe is a buzz with the news that the asparagus is ripe and ready to eat. And for good reason!

I had the good fortune of arriving in Amsterdam in the late spring just as the asparagus was in full bloom and appearing on every menu in town. Steamed fresh it was soft, sweet and left me craving for more.

We moved onto Bruges where the white asparagus is cooked Flemish style in a light sauce with a special blend of seasoning. This was it for me. I was hooked on the delightful little stalks. I could not wait till the next night to have another serving of asparagus.

Looking around Bruges I noticed that the people seemed very loving and affectionate. I thought to myself – I wonder if it’s the asparagus? And then I got a surprise.

I opened the window of my hotel room which was located upon the banks of the canal. Directly across the canal  was another boutique hotel  with the old rustic charm of ancient Bruges architecture. As I opened the window, directly across the canal in the next hotel was a young man and a young woman engaged in sex with the window open for the entire world to see! My first thought was that the white asparagus in Bruges must be very potent. It must be true that a stalk or two a day makes asparagus a sexy vegetable!

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