Dare to be a Spice Girl; going gaga for ginger
Born the illegitimate daughter of a monk and a seamstress, legendary French beauty Madame du Barry became the official royal mistress to King Louis XV from 1769 until his death in 1774. Her secret, beside her sexual skills? She served ginger to all her lovers, including her beloved king. The story goes that this would ‘drive her men to a state of complete and utter submissiveness.’ I love to think about that story when I stand around in my kitchen, making ginger tea in my bathrobe.
The recipe couldn’t be more simple:
Put a few slices of fresh ginger in a mug with boiling water, wait a few minutes, enjoy. (no need to peel; a lot of the goodness is right under the skin).
Or you could go a bit fancier. Use a teapot –preferably one with a strainer- and grate the ginger; about one tablespoon should do. Before you add boiling water, you can throw in a few fresh mint leaves, a cinnamon stick or a pinch of cayenne pepper, whatever takes your fancy. Let it seep for about 10 minutes while you inhale the amazing aroma.
Aaaah, don’t you wish you could bathe in it? Well actually, you can! Use either fresh grated ginger (about half a cup) or ginger powder (a rounded teaspoon) in hot or warm water and soak for 15-20 minutes.Warning: drink plenty of water afterwards, because this bath will make you sweat!
As a matter of fact, it’s exactly these stimulating properties that have given ginger its reputation of an aphrodisiac. The increase of blood flow is supposed to make your erogenous zones hypersensitive, and the raised heart rate and sweating mirrors the body’s reaction during sex. This is one HOT spice! Ginger also helps remove toxins, cleanses the bowels and kidneys, and nourishes the skin. So drink it, cook with it, bathe in it and remember how ginger-fanatic Madame du Barry, according to French legend, ‘was able to arouse her executioners to pause, even during her own execution.”
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