by Amy Reiley
The origins of celery’s reputation as an aphrodisiac are obvious. But celery holds many aphrodisiac powers beyond its phallic form.
Celery is said to stimulate the pituitary gland, which is key in releasing sexual hormones. In addition, there is some evidence which points to the scent of celery as suggesting androstenone, the primary male pheromone. As far back as the Middle Ages, the power of celery was well understood, according to a quote unearthed in the Eighteenth Century by Grimod de la Reyniere, “It is enough to stress that [celery] is not in any way a salad for bachelors.” Although modern science has yet to reach a conclusion on the potency of raw versus cooked, raw celery root has been used for centuries as a cure for impotence.