An A to Z aphrodisiacs guide

ASPARAGUS: Rich in vitamin E, is thought to stimulate sex hormones. Test Kitchen recipe to try: Roasted Asparagus

BASIL: Used in voodoo love ceremonies in Haiti as an offering to Erzulie, the voodoo love goddess. Check out our collection of Bountiful basil recipes.

CHILI PEPPER: The pepper's heat is generated by capsaicin, a chemical that stimulates nerve endings. Also, raises the pulse.

DAMIANA: Also called wild yam, formerly used for medicinal purposes by indigenous peoples of Central America. Now associated with helping erectile dysfunctions, although with no scientific proof.

EGGS: A symbol of fertility. Test Kitchen recipe to try: Egg Crêpes with Smoked Salmon and Lemon Crème Fraîche

FIGS: Soft and sweet. Test Kitchen recipe to try: Figs Poached in Spiced Red Wine with Mascarpone

GINGKO: Widens blood vessels and therefore increases blood flow to the genitals.

HONEY: Offered by the Egyptians to fertility god Min; is still used in some cultures as part of a wedding ceremony. Test Kitchen recipe to try: Honey Orange Quencher

ICE CREAM: Melting, dripping, creamy, and sweet. Test Kitchen recipe to try: Dark Chocolate Ice Cream Roll

JUICES: Pure fruit and vegetable juices can cleanse the body of toxins.

LICORICE: Found by the Chicago Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation to significantly increase blood flow to the penis when combined with the smell of donut.

MASTIC TREE: An evergreen with red or black berries. The ancient Arabic love manual The Perfumed Garden advises readers to "take fruit of the mastic tree (derou), pound them and macerate them with oil and honey; then drink of the liquid first thing in the morning: you will thus become vigorous for the coitus, and there will be abundance of sperm produced."