What better way to start married life than a trip to tantalise the
tastebuds and, perhaps, stir a few other parts of your anatomy? From
creamy avocados in
California to bitter chocolate in
Belize and nutty ants in
Colombia, here’s our rundown of where and when to try the world’s best aphrodisiacs.
Oysters
- Best place to try them: Prince Edward Island, Canada
- Best time of year to eat them: Prince Edward Island oysters taste strongest during the summer months of July and August
Fulfil your oyster obsession by heading for Prince Edward Island off
the east coast of Canada. There, you and your beloved can make things
official by taking an ‘oyster oath’ and being inaugurated into the
Prince Edward Island Oyster Society (
www.peioystersociety.ca).
Then feast on the island's famed Malpeque Bay oysters, which were
crowned the world's most delectable at the 1900 Paris Exhibition. As if
all this isn’t enough, you can shuck for four days solid with fellow
shellfish fiends at the annual Prince Edward Island International
Shellfish Festival (
http://peishellfish.com) in late September.
Strawberries
- Best place to try them: England
- Best time of year to eat them: June to early August
Whether served with a dollop of cream, a sprinkling of sugar, or left
as nature intended, a British strawberry in high summer is a must for
any foodie. Start your odyssey in Surrey, amassing mountainous punnets
at the Crockford Bridge Farm (
www.crockfordbridgefarm.co.uk). If you’re not sick of them by this point, make a stop at the farm’s ice cream parlour for a homemade strawberry sundae.
Top off your trip with that most quintessential of strawberry-eating outings: a visit to Wimbledon (
www.wimbledon.com) to munch the moreish fruits while watching the action unfold on the hallowed grass courts of SW17.
Chocolate
- Best place to try it: Belize
- Best time of year to eat it: February and May
If it’s chocolate you desire, there’s no better place to binge than
Belize, the alleged birthplace of the Mayan variety. The Mayans
supposedly gorged on it at every meal but you don’t need to do that to
prove your devotion. Instead, sign up for one of two annual chocolate
weeks organised by the eco-friendly Cotton Tree Lodge (
www.cottontreelodge.com).
As well as a history of chocolate, the guided tour will take you to
farmhouses to see how the traditional Mayan cacao drink is made. You'll
also get to meet artisanal chocolate makers, make your own chocs and
find out about the island's sustainable projects to help local cacao
farmers.
- Where else to go: Brussels, Belgium
Avocados
- Best place to try them: San Diego, USA
- Best time of year to eat them: All year around
For over 50 years, devotees of the green fruit have met up at the
Fallbrook Avocado Festival in San Diego.
While you’re there, you can eat guacamole to your heart’s content,
sample the avocado fudge and buy avocado-shaped souvenirs. Make a
beeline for
Peohe’s restaurant overlooking San Diego Bay and feast on crab and avocado after you’re done with the festival.
Where else to go: Mexico
Red wine
- Best place to try it: Bordeaux, France
- Best time of year to drink it: May
If you and your new spouse love a drop of wine, head for Médoc in
south-west France to sample the snifters on offer at the stunning
Château Mouton Rothschild wine estate.
You’ll have to book well in advance to get a place on one of the
cellar tours at this highly-prized Bordeaux wine-maker, but once you’re
out in the pine-fresh air sipping that first Cabernet Sauvignon, it’ll
be well worth it. If you have time, check out the Rothschild’s art
collection in the adjoining museum.
- Where else to go: La Rioja, Spain
Basil
Basil aficionados will be in their element at the
Thai Farm Cookery School
in Chiang Mai. Pack yourself off for a day class at the stunning
school, which boasts an inviting kitchen garden. There, you’ll be given a
tour of the farm which grows sweet basil and holy basil, both of which
will be used in class to give your grub a herbal hit. While you’re
there, supercharge yourself with chillies and bananas, both of which
have aphrodisiac properties.
- Where else to go: Liguria region, Italy
Leafcutter ants
- Best place to try them: Barichara, Colombia
- Best time of year to eat them: Spring
These big, busy insects have been given to newlywed couples in
Colombia for over 500 years. Eating the bugs is thought to heighten
sexual desire. As well as the hefty aphrodisiac hit, the ants are also
chock-full of protein and low in fat, so they make an ideal snack if
you’re looking to lose a few post-wedding pounds. To try this nutty
nibble, head to one of the street sellers in Barichara where toasted
queen ants are sold in the spring after harvest. For a more genteel
experience, pop along to
Color de Hormiga restaurant in Barichara where you can sample ‘ant bread’ or even ‘ant filet mignon’.
Where else to go: Cambodia
Sea cucumber
- Best place to try it: Shanghai, China
- Best time of year to eat it: May
It’s sometimes referred to as a ‘sea rat’ or ‘sea slug’ but don’t
let the sea cucumber’s unflattering nicknames stand in the way of you
tasting one of China’s top aphrodisiacs. This slimy, spineless creature
is often used in stews and soups, where chunks of its rather flavourless
flesh are brightened up with herbs and spices. For an authentic
sea-cucumber dish go to the 19th century Dexingguan restaurant in
Shanghai for their renowned sea cucumber with shrimp roe sauce.
- Where else to try it: Japan
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