Photo: Carlos Ángel Vázquez Tena / EyeEm (Getty Images)
The sex drive has always been one of the humanity’s greatest motivators. A lot of what we do revolves around sex, so it’s only natural that people would do anything to make sure this inner force is strong with them, which includes ingesting certain things that they would never even think about eating. Throughout history, people have eaten and drunk a number of bizarre items like insects, animal parts, and strange concoctions, all under the belief that they’re taking an aphrodisiac. While some were right, others were horribly wrong. Take a look at what people thought (or still think) would improve their manhood.
Leaf-Cutting Ants
You might think that ants are not really sexy, but some Colombian traditionalists would argue otherwise. For 500 years, people have been ingesting leaf-cutting ants in Colombia as the ultimate aphrodisiacs. If you’re a man of a simpler taste, you can buy your regular, toasted ants and gnaw on them to help your desire grow or if you want a proper lunch, you could try various dishes available there like the ant filet mignon or ant bread.
Casu Marzu
Speaking of things that wiggle in your mouth, have you heard of Casu Marzu? It is a special Italian traditional food that is basically a sheep milk cheese. So, what’s so weird about that? Possibly the fact that this well-beyond aged cheese is actually filled with maggots that contribute to its advanced fermentation. If you want to honor the tradition completely, you have to eat the maggots as well since they are, no doubt, full of proteins and good for you. The tradition also states that Casu Marzu is a strong aphrodisiac so, if you can get your head around chewing on these wiggly bastards, it should help with your sex drive.
Liquified Frog
Peru is a country known for its wildlife and natural beauty, but the Peruvians tend to show their love for it quite oddly. For example, one of its most interesting amphibian creatures, the Titicaca Water Frog is often consumed in the most bizarre of ways in order to improve sex drive and libido. Namely, they take these little hopping frogs, put them in a blender along with honey, some herbs, and other ingredients, and mash them all together into a nice little smoothie. This “Peruvian Viagra” is also quite cheap, which could be a reason why it’s so popular.
Whale Barf
Photo: James R.D. Scott (Getty Images)
It makes sense that you would look at a sperm whale to find the ultimate aphrodisiac for your lovemaking needs, but you would never guess where exactly (OK, you might guess if you look at the title). The substance called ambergris, produced in a sperm whale’s stomach is dark in color and fairly solid. It comes out, obviously, when the whale vomits and has a rather unpleasant smell, so it may come as a surprise that perfumes are made out of it. What’s even more disturbing is the fact that people in some cultures considered it an aphrodisiac and consumed it on a regular basis. Is it really worth the trouble?
Sea Cucumber
You might think that there’s nothing wrong with eating a cucumber for potency, but have you ever actually seen one out of the water? These slimy creatures only resemble cucumbers from afar, but they are utterly more disgusting up close. So, why do people think that they are aphrodisiacs? Because they resemble a male reproductive organ. As simple as that. It’s basically the form follows function principle at its worst. It looks like a penis so ingesting it must be good for your penis. Either way, sea cucumbers are absolutely hideous.
Baboon Urine
OK, you might think that now we’re just being ridiculous, but we’re just giving you the facts. You can try it if you want (although we don’t recommend it). Apparently, in Zimbabwe, baboon urine is one of the most popular drinks that men drink to help their struggling reproductive organs. Whether you mix it with beer or something else, the effect is hard to ignore (get it?) On the other hand, women of Zimbabwe claim that crystallized baboon urine actually does quite the opposite and stops their men from having affairs. We don’t know who to trust here, really.
Tiger Penis
Photo: Felix Neudel / EyeEm (Getty Images)
Speaking of wildlife, the Chinese believe that a tiger’s penis holds great medicinal value and that consuming it helps with the sexual life of the individual. Although there are no actual data to confirm such a belief and it all belongs to the traditional Eastern medicine, the question you have to ask yourself immediately is how someone even found that out? Not only did he have to kill a tiger (no easy task), but he decided to eat the most NSFW part of it. If you believe you’re up for it, simply travel to your nearest tiger habitat and castrate some unlucky fellow. Or simply, don’t.
Bird’s Nest Soup
We’ll finish the list off with one of the most bizarre aphrodisiac dishes here, a soup from a bird’s nest. Now, mind you, it’s not a bird soup or, God forbid, a chicken soup, but a soup made out of a bird’s nest. Swiftlets are a special type of birds in Southeast Asia that make their nests out of saliva that hardens in time and becomes nice and comfy. People soak these pieces of a nest and stew them with chicken soup until they get a thick, gooey substance reminiscent of an actual soup. So, if eating bird saliva in order to help your little fella out is your kind of thing, feel free to try it.
That was our list full of some fairly bizarre items. If you know of any other bizarre aphrodisiac and feel like sharing, leave a comment below. We’re always in the mood for some disgusting stories.
