The Love Bean
Much is made today of chocolate’s ardor-inducing properties. But did you know that back in the 1700’s it was vanilla — not chocolate — that was thought to inflame the passions of men and women alike? No less a person than Cassanova fortified himself with mulled wine spiked heavily with vanilla. The Marquis de Sade also regarded vanilla as, shall we say, a male stimulant. Perhaps he was inspired by the German physician Bezaar Zimmermann who claimed in 1762 that “no fewer than 342 impotent men, by drinking vanilla decoctions, have changed into astonishing lovers of at least as many women.”
At least as many, and who knows how many more besides for those love-crazy vanilla fiends, eh? Funny how this stuff, that was all but scandalous once, has come to be regarded as “plain vanilla”.
Are you aware of the derivation of the word vanilla, and it’s metaphorical usages? Seems not …
Indeed I am, Jeremy! I just only like to get so explicit in a post. The seed pod of an orchid is called a “vaina”, vagina in Latin. “Vainilla” being “little pods” in Spanish. But then that sort of terminology is standard for all types of orchids. I mean, “orchis” itself means “testical” in Greek, as I recall because the Greeks thought that orchids came up wherever drops of bull semen fell on the ground. They’re flowers full of sexual/erotic references. Which only underscores my point! Why is it so “plain” today? I doesn’t make any sense!
Thanks for the comment, Jeremy!
– Joe
Oh!
my bad!
Orchid bulbs themselves are somewhat testicular too. I love etymology and the naming of plants.
Yes, you’re very right about that, Jeremy. Not that I…ehem…ever thought that before.
– Joe