Thank you for the information on celery root. I will have to check if celeriac is sold here. I haven’t heard of it before. There are many markets that sell more varieties then most. I will check there first.

Cheers

About celery root, which i happen to be munching on right now, fyi some people call it celeriac at the farmer’s market here. Whatever. My girlfriend’s bunny likes it too (a rabbit! shhh). It’s great raw by the way, people, just slice yourself a thin wedge and the flavor will explain itself; a little like a good carrot but not as sweet. Anyway thanks. I love all the foods you mentioned (i wonder why?) but this one i only just discovered last year. It’s like being a kid, discovering a new vegetable!

Thanks

Thank you for explaining the European definition of the celery root to me.
We weren’t sure if it was called by a different name or what.
Over here we have actually tiny seeds.
I find it so interesting the variety of seasonings used in different countries.
It was nice to hear from you especially since you are from Romania. We have family there.

Actually, it is quite uncommon to eat celery leaves (or sticks, as you call them in the US), as the plant is mostly sold without them, or they are in very poor shape, so they will most likely be removed.

In my own home, all soups include a large piece of celery root, used in the cooking process, but often not eaten alongside the other vegetables. I have not seen it used in any other dishes, though it might be common in other households or perhaps other areas of the country/continent.

Hope this helped, and thank you for posting this very interesting and informative article!

It’s also a definition thing. If you restrict the meaning of “aphrodisiac” by asking for hard evidence, then Viagra would be the only aphrodisiac in the world. I like to use the expression for healthy foods and drinks that have positive and arousing effects on your body, be it

a) a direct effect (e.g. a higher serotonin level, which makes you happy),

b) a follow-up effect of their ‘original’ effect (e.g. a stimulated circulatory system moves nutrients more quickly to the cells, which boosts your energy, which can boost your libido),

c) a cultural belief (which has an effect because it is believed to possess one, which leads us to the very interesting topic of the power of placebos), or

d) a cultural or historic meaning (e.g. a gift of chocolate, which carries a symbolic meaning, which has an effect I do not need to explain).

I believe that foods and drinks that fall into one or more of these categories deserve to be called an aphrodisiac.

Thank you for adding watermelon to the list. Especially its rind contains the amino acid citrulline, which has been found to relax blood cells (source).