Who needs aphrodisiacs and foods of love when you can use a love potion?

Back in the mists of time, this was often the answer to a romantic conundrum. Through folklore, history and literature (think Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream) weird and wonderful concoctions were used to encourage a heart pounding attachment. Legend has it that French beauty, Madame de Montespan seduced King Louis XIV by spiking his food with a tincture which included blood, intestines and bits of toad. She went on to have seven children by him, so maybe there was something in it. Should you wish to investigate without sorceress support, start with a liquid, like water, tea or wine, before adding herbs and mythical ingredients that you may be hard pressed to find in the supermarket. The rare and lethal mandrake, perhaps? Or sparrow’s liver, dove’s heart, swallow’s womb and hare’s kidney, ground into a powder. A small vial added to a drink and your beloved is sure to swoon. Possibly for the wrong reasons.

Thanks to Bring Me Love by Icy Sedgwick (Watkins)

If you’d like to woo a lover with something more tasty and less off-putting, you might like to read our feature ‘Foods of Love’ by Lucy Brazier in our February issue, which is on shelf now.

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