Aromatics Through the Ages II
Seduction Tonics to Cosmetic Concoctions
Flavors are important in life, and nobody likes bland meals. Your meal`s flavor profile goes up just by a pinch of salt, and no one can deny its importance. Imagine your favorite meal, and then imagine your life without the spices your favorite meal used to have. You will no longer love the same dish. Similarly, these flavor enhancers make your meals more tasty, add color, and make them look appealing. Our ancestors took advantage of the other uses of spices as well. In this blog, you will learn how ancient people used various ways to use spices.
Seduction Tonics or APHRODISIAC
The term aphrodisiac is derived from the Greek word Aphrodite, which means the goddess of love and beauty. The ancient people wanted to have a spice-up romantic night. So they found that some herbs and spices, when mixed, benefited them to raise sexual desires. However, there is no scientific evidence of whether these spices boost their sexual energy or if it was just their belief. No matter what you think about the effectiveness of those medicines, they tried to find the perfect recipe to spice up the things in the bed.
Greeks used various spices to increase their sexual performance including anise, coriander, cumin, fennel, and ginger in ancient times. They mixed them with other herbs and used that medicine to increase their sexual desire and spice up things in the bedroom.
Cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and saffron are some spices that ancient Egyptians used to improve their sexual health. They used these spices to make love potions mixed with certain foods like honey and almonds. They believed these foods are also beneficial in improving their performance.
Ginseng, goji, and berries are some herbs and spices used in Chinese tradition to improve sexual health. They believed these spices helped them boost their mood and performance. They also used Horny Goat weed in treating erectile dysfunction and increased libido.
The Incas had a type of pepper called "uchu" from Peru and another kind of pepper from Mexico known as chili. These peppers were thought to have special powers that could make people feel more loving. They included them in their meals to make their food taste really good and to make intimate moments between couples even more exciting.
Cosmetic Concoctions
Our ancestors used spices in fascinating ways for making cosmetics as well. The beauty industry in ancient Egypt made different cosmetics with the help of spices. These beauty enhancers were not only organic, but they also made ancient people beautiful. Some of those spices and herbs have been used to enhance beauty till now. Ground malachite and galena were used to make eyeliners and to enhance eyes. Hair and nails were also dyed with the help of henna. They also discovered a way to make lipstick with red ochre and vegetable oils.
For centuries in Ethiopia, women have employed a spice known as "Berbere" for cosmetic purposes. Berbere is a mixture of spices like red pepper, ginger, cardamom, and others, and it is utilized to create a paste applied to the face and body, aiding in achieving a more radiant and uniform skin tone.
The Romans and Greeks also utilized spices and herbs in their cosmetic industry. They used to make perfumes with rose petals. People used to make an exfoliator by making almond powder to scrub their skin. You can imagine how they knew about almond's benefits in exfoliating dead skin. For moisturizing their skin, they used honey and olive oil. They used saffron to make hair dye.
Chinese women also used to make cosmetics with the help of spices. The most popular spice for making cosmetics was red sandalwood. Chinese women used to make beauty products like red lipstick and red blush on with the help of red sandalwood powder. It was simple to make. They ground the red sandalwood into powder and then mixed that powder with water or other liquid to make a paste. This paste was then used as a lipstick or blush on. Royalties and elite women in Chinese history used to have this ingredient. Dating back to the Tang dynasty (618-907 AD), red sandalwood has a long history of use.
In conclusion, all the ancient civilizations utilized spices in various aspects of their lives. They used them as beauty enhancers and sexual health boosters. They experimented with them, discovered many skincare products, and loved potions utilizing spices. Ancient people did not restrict spice usage solely to flavor enhancers in meals.
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About the Creator
Smoky Hazel
Smoky Hazel not only brings new flavors but also vows to reinvent the way we season our food. We're passionate about flavor, and we're here to infuse your culinary adventures with the vibrant essence of spices.
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