Looking to spice up your romantic
getaway? Throughout the Caribbean, you'll find aphrodisiacs sold in
markets and roadside stands. Usually said to be "for the man," these
potions are said to be powerful enough to "make your man as strong
as a bull." You'll have to judge for yourself.
?Mannish water. Made from
goat's head, mannish water is sometimes called power water. A real
rarity on restaurant menus, usually mannish water is bought at a
roadside stand where you might have it with roasted yam. This spicy
soup is made with goat head (some cooks include tripe and feet as
well), garlic, escallion, cho-cho, green bananas, Scotch bonnet
peppers, and spinners. White rum is an optional ingredient.
Ingredients
goat head
water
3 green banana
2 potatoes
1 yam
1 chopped carrot
1 chopped chocho
12 pimento seed
5 stalk escallion
8 sprig of thyme
1 scotch bonnet pepper
5 cloves garlic
1 cup white rum
salt and pepper to taste
Irish Moss. One of the most unusual drinks in the Caribbean
is Irish Moss, made from a seaweed extract. Reported to be a health
drink as well as an aphrodisiac, this drink is typically sold "for
the man." Definitely an acquired taste.
Ingredients
250g fresh Irish moss or 50g dried Irish moss
2.5 litres water
1 tablespoon rum
250 ml milk
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 tbs strawberry syrup - (for colour)
Sugar to taste
Preparation Method
If dried Irish moss is to be used, soak it
for a few hours in water. Otherwise, clean the fresh moss of
all other bits of seaweed, and wash thoroughly to remove sand
and grit.
Simmer the moss in the water until tender.
Then top up the water to the original level and bring to boil.
Strain the liquid through a muslin cloth or
fine sieve.
Add sugar to taste, then the rum, milk,
nutmeg.
Add enough strawberry syrup to make it
slightly pink in colour.
Transfer the liquid to a glass bowl and
refrigerate until it has set.
?Cowcod soup. Another one of
those infamous Jamaican aphrodisiacs, cowcod soup is usually sold at
roadside stands and includes bananas, pepper and white rum.
?Bois Band? Most popular in
St. Lucia, this tree is used to produce a potent liqueur that some
swear by. In the Castries market, you can purchase the bark and use
it to prepare a "special" tea.
?Conch. You're probably familiar with this mollusk because of
its shell: a beautiful pink curl nearly a foot long that, when blown
by those in the know, can become an island bullhorn. The shell
covers a huge piece of white meat with a rubbery texture. Many
islanders swear by its aphrodisiac qualities; even if it doesn't
work, conch is so tasty it's well worth a try.
Ready to try your luck? Here are a few
conch recipes designed to bring the loving feeling of the islands to
your home. Conch is available in most specialty markets and large
seafood shops.
Ingredients
* 1/2 liter of brown rum
* 50 grams of bark of Marbri (Bois band?
* 20 grams of powder of Damiana
* Mango juice (fresh)
* Green lemon juice (fresh
Preparation
* Put 50 grams of "Bois band?quot; bark in 1/2 liter of Brown Rum
* Let macerate in a bottle closed, far from the light during 1
month.
* Filter
* Cut out a mango, mix it and filter it.
* Extract the juice from 2 green lemons.
* To pour mango, the juice of lemon and the powder of Damania
Damiana in brown rum.
* Wait 2 days before consuming.
Drink one glass 1 hour before the evening in love...
Conch Fritters
3 medium conch, chopped
2 onions, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 tablespoons tomato paste
4 cups water
3 hot peppers or to taste
2 tablespoons thyme
4 cups flour
4 tablespoons baking powder
Oil for frying
Mix all ingredients except oil. Mix
thoroughly and let stand 10 to 20 minutes. Heat oil in deep fryer.
Scoop batter in full teaspoons, drop into hot oil. Fry until brown.
Cracked Conch
2-3 medium conch
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons flour
3 eggs, beaten
Oil for frying
Prepare conch. Cut in half and flatten
with meat mallet. Marinate in lemon juice; refrigerate for a half
hour. Remove conch from lemon juice and dip into beaten eggs then
dredge in flour. Fry in skillet or deep fryer until golden brown.
Husband and wife team Paris
Permenter and John Bigley have authored over 20 guidebooks and also
edit Lovetripper.com Romantic
Travel Magazine<A HREF="http://www.lovetripper.com/">, an online
publication featuring worldwide destinations.
