388: Aphrodisiacs - is anything really up to the job?

<div>In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, we are turning down the lights, turning up the music, and getting out the finest <a href="https://foodmatterslive.com/article/how-receptacles-and-cutlery-affect-our-enjoyment-of-food-and-drink/">cutlery</a> as we talk about the food of love.<br> <br> And specifically, the idea of aphrodisiacs – those foods which, it is claimed, have a love-inducing power on us, which are stimulating, potent, and get the blood flowing.<br> <br> In modern times, oysters or <a href="https://foodmatterslive.com/podcast/the-dark-history-of-chocolate-food-podcasts/">chocolate</a> are claimed to do the job. Further back, foie gras and caviar. Through history, stranger things still.  <br> <br> The question is: Do food aphrodisiacs actually work? And if so, are they always sexy or is it about context?<br> <br> We are going to dig into the <a href="https://foodmatterslive.com/podcasts/series/the-history-of-food-podcasts/">history</a> to find out and on the way we will see how the food industry has tapped into these sensual foods and drinks.<br> <br> <strong>Guests:</strong><br> <strong>Martha Hopkins, Author<br> Dr Ursula Janssen, Culinary Historian</strong> </div>