The ultimate aphrodisiac food?

The oyster just may be the most evocative culinary symbol of passion. And in addition to the powerful persuasion of its mere being, oysters have some scientifically proven potency.

Some believe the connection between oysters and romance is a game of chance. It stems from a rumor that slurping a bivalve from its shell might reveal a pearl.  Unfortunately, edible oysters are not of the pearl-producing variety.

So, although they won’t give you a strand of pearls, oysters make a luxurious and healthy treat. Their slightly salty/sweet scent is a smell not dissimilar to a potent female pheromone. And it is considered sexually stirring. Although the serving of nutrients in a single oyster is negligible, eaten by the dozen, they’re loaded with zinc. And zinc is a key nutrient for testosterone production. (It’s important for stimulating libido in both men and women). A lean source of protein, oysters have been credited with keeping men virile well into old age. (Casanova supposedly consumed 50 of the aphrodisiac bivalves each day to keep his libido in top form.)

In 2007, an aim to up oysters’ libido-boosting power led one mad, Australian oyster farmer to slip crushed Viagra into his oyster beds. The resulting oysters were rejected by Australian health officials although there was some Asian interest in the drugged-up mollusks. However, the makers of Viagra slapped a lawsuit on the creative fisherman for misuse of a trademarked name, ending the farmer’s plans to market his chemically altered seafood around the world.