Valentine’s Day Recipes and Meal Ideas

If you're looking for ideas on what to eat and drink this Valentine's Day but want to spice it up from the comfort of your own home, try these delicious recipes. You’ll also find a list of the best foods to serve and the perfect Valentine’s aphrodisiacs.

Create the Perfect Valentine’s Day Date Night at Home

5 Global Tried and Tested Aphrodisiacs to Serve this Valentine’s Day

1. Ginger

Ginger is a lesser known aphrodisiac here in the UK but is popular in countries around the world. It's deemed an aphrodisiac because of it's scent and how it stimulates the circulatory system which can leave you longing for your other half. It is believed to increase sensitivity in the erogenous zones while also making our tongue and lips tingle.

It is a popular in European countries such as France, Italy, Croatia and Belgium with the number of searches for ginger appearing alongside aphrodisiac over 4000 monthly searches in the 14 countries where Valentine's Day is most popular. The spice is also popular amongst South American countries Ecuador and Colombia.

Ginger can be easily included into your Valentine's Day meal, such as this HelloFresh Ginger Beef Stir Fry. This dish creates a delicious flavour with ginger, garlic, soy sauce and oyster sauce. You can also enjoy ginger in drinks, whether that be adding fresh ginger to cocktails or having a glass of ginger beer.

2. Celery

Eating celery has been known to increase the pheromone androsterone, a natural aphrodisiac found in male sweat that can make women more sexually attracted to the opposite sex.

This Sicilian Caponata with Herbed Pork recipe includes lots of celery, perfect for enhancing those pheromones. Indulge in this take on a tasty Italian meal alongside your favourite wine for a romantic night in this Valentine's Day.

3. Okra

Okra, otherwise known in English-speaking countries as 'ladies fingers' is reputed as the 'vegetable of love' as it's rich in magnesium, a natural relaxant. Try adding okra to a tasty curry such as the HelloFresh creamy chicken curry.

4. Maca

Studies have shown that maca boosts attractiveness towards others, making it a great aphrodisiac for Valentine's Day. Maca is a sweet root vegetable that goes well with chocolate and coffee, it is widely available to buy and can be easily added to drinks or baking recipes. Maca can make for a great addition to your Valentine's Day desserts, this Indulgent Coconut Chocolate Pot can easily be enhanced with some maca powder.

5. Ginseng

Ginseng, a popular herb in Chinese medicine, is often to help stimulate passion and function amongst couples. Some say it's an aphrodisiac because of its resemblance to the human body and the word ginseng means 'man root'. Try including ginseng in cocktails on Valentine's day alongside your evening meal. Ginseng goes well in soups and broths, meaning it can be added to the HelloFresh Asian Mushroom Broth with Udom Noodles recipe!

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