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Aphrodisiac Moroccan Afternoon Tea

Moroccan Pastries & Desserts
Le premier verre est aussi amer que la vie,
le deuxième est aussi fort que l'amour,
le troisième est aussi doux que la mort.*

*Moroccan proverb, which translates loosely to:
The first glass is as bitter as life,
the second glass is as strong as love,
the third glass is as gentle as death.

Tea Party of Love
Photograph by Miriam Kleingeltink

Tea Party of Love
Photograph by Miriam Kleingeltink

At long last - photographs and stories from our latest event titled "Light, Love… Action!"
This is my 3rd annual Valentine’s Day Aphrodisiac Tea Party - which not surprisingly is always very popular and very special.

First thing - I would like to thank the wonderful friends that helped me put together this event: Miriam, Tamya and Shukoofeh for helping me prepare all the Moroccan sweets and the savoury mezze inspired tea sandwiches. Thank you to Nikki for helping me co-host the event and for her wonderful presentation about aphrodisiac candles (see more below). An extra special thank you goes to Miriam who went above and beyond - seamlessly helping me to host as well as photograph the event so those who couldn't make it can get some inspiration and food for thought!

Tea Party of Love
Photograph by Miriam Kleingeltink



Tea Party of Love
Photograph by Miriam Kleingeltink

Nikki will bought her aphrodisiac candles, including “Three Little Words” - a very special trio of romantic candles she created especially to put you in the mood!
"Afternoon Nap" with Black Pepper and Lavender
"Slow Dance" with Sandalwood, Clove, Patchouli
"Sweetheart" with Ylang Ylang, Geranium and Nutmeg

She shared the pure aphrodisiac essences that are used in her candles to demonstrate how they can be used to set the mood for romance. Lighting a candle is an act of inviting passion and romance into your life. It has such a beautiful soft ligth, and with a scented candle, you also get the health benefits of aromatherapy grade essences - purifying the air and also affecting the body, mind and soul in a positive way.
Nikki shared some surprising tips on burning soy wax candles, for example - light a candle before you enter the bedroom to make it smell nice, rather than keep it burning all night long. And also tips on how long a wick should be, how to trim them, and for how long it's recommended to burn each candle.

Aphrodisiac Spice Box

My presentation was about how the aphrodisiacs were incorporated in the menue (see below) and they actually "work". I demonstrated two scents for men (ArbitRary and Orcas) that contain aphrodisiacs, and two feminine perfumes (Immortelle l'Amour and Roses et Chocolat).
And here I am pouring a very special aphrodisiac that I designed especially for the party: a Darjeeling tea scented with mimosa & myrrh!

Pouring Tea
Photograph by Miriam Kleingeltink

MENUE:
The menu was Moroccan inspired – colourful, spicy and flavourful from one of the world’s most sophisticated cuisines!

We all enjoyed Moroccan mint tea drizzled with orange flower water and garnished with fresh sprigs of spearmint. The orange flower water is an old Moroccan tradition, but was a refreshing and new for everyone attending and I was thrilled how much they loved it!
We created an abundance of colourful finger foods and fragrant desserts that are a feast for all of the senses – and all spiked with nature’s best aphrodisiacs, such as cardamom,

Moroccan Mezze (Hors d’Oveurs):
- Pita wedges with roasted bell pepper hummus topped with spicy Moroccan carrot salad
- Roasted eggplants sandwiches with black cardamom & pomegranate (served on Lesley Stowe’s Raincoast Crisps)
- Cumin-scented beets with chevre & black olives (on slices of PureBread’s rosemary-lavender bread)

Scones:
Moroccan inspired scones flavoured with aniseed and malepi (black cherry pit - this is actually a Greek specialty spice but worked so well with the anise that I just had to include it in the menu).
We served them piping hot with clotted cream and real rose petal jam.

Petitfours & Desserts:
Masapan (Moroccan almond paste tartlets)
Stuffed Dates with Rosewater & Coconut
Gheriba (Rose Petal & Semolina shortbread cookies)
Ras El Hanout spiced brownies

There were also two types of handmade truffles for sale:
White Musk Truffles (white chocolate infused with precious ambrette seeds – a botanical musk)
Black Beauty truffles (infused with Lapsang Suchong & black cardamom and smoked salt)

The whole spread!
Photograph by Miriam Kleingeltink

We also gave door prizes including some of our secret aphrodisiac recipes and raffle tickets for a romantic gift box of perfumes, candles and potions that Nikki & I prepared in heart-shaped cookie boxes.

And last but not least - some music from the party (we played mostly authentic Moroccan music, and also some other North African music, such as the wonderful Libyan musician Tinariwen).



This might be the first and the last tea party for 2012, but we'll look forward to hosting a tea party for next Valentine's Day!

Aphrodisiac of the Day: Ambrette Seed

Aromatic Aphrodisiacs

Ambrette was discussed here before in other contexts, for example: in my article about vegetale musks, and how it was employed in my newest perfumed tea. Today I want to highlight its aphrodisiac qualities, and how you can use it creatively in your own kitchen (or the bedroom...).

Ambrette seed is the seeds of Abelmoschus moschatus - an evergreen shrub from the hibiscus family, with yellow flowers with purplish-pink centre. These little innocent looking seeds are the perfumer's best choice for replacing animal-musk, although admittedly, it's far more gentle, sublime and not as sharp as animal musk.

Ambrette seed has a subtle and sublime musky odour. It is warm, but not quite like what one would call "spicy" - if anything its complexity reminds me slightly of that of coriander seed, although it's not nearly as heady (coriander has citrus elements in its chemical makeup, due to molecules such as limonene; and also light woodsy floralcy from the linalol). Ambrette is also slightly floral (probably due to the farnesol content); but has a very distinct aroma of its own, hardly sharing anything with other fragrant plants I'm familiar with. Possessing wine-like, nutty and fruity aspects reminiscent of overripe fruit or even lychee (probably because of the isoambrettolide - a macrocyclic musk that has some "red fruit" or berry characteristics). It also has some palmitic acid (which gives it a "fatty" or "oily" aspect). But most importantly - it is very rich in ambrettolide, which smells like what we learned to identify as "white musk" - clean, sweet, slightly floral or even soapy, and with berry undertones as well.

Ambrette Seed (Abelmoschus moschatos)

Ambrette also has medicinal benefits as well: to ease indigestion, cramps and nervous dyspepsia, and also can be ground made into an emulsion with milk to treat itchy skin.

And of course - ambrette seed is considered an aphrodisiac, both as a perfume and incense material and also in its less known culinary uses. It is used as spice in the East, either on its own or within exotic spice blends such as Moroccan Ras El Hanout (which was originally an aphrodisiac spice blend, by the way, and often calls for animal ingredients such as Spanish Fly, ambergris or musk). Ambrette seeds are also used by Arabs to flavour coffee (much like they do with cardamom seeds). The tincture is used to flavour liquors and tobacco - although I doubt that either will do you much good as aphrodisiac agents!

For my 3rd annual aphrodisiac tea party in February 12th, 2012 I will be serving my guests ambrette seeds in the Ras El Hanout spice blend I'll create, and also will infuse them in chocolate ganache to create aphrodisiac white chocolate truffles. You may also want to think about infusing ambrette seed in warm milk alone or along with vanilla and orris - or add it to sahleb and warm puddings of that nature. They may also work wonders in semolina desserts (cookies, harissas, etc.) along with spices such as coriander, cardamom and rosewater - in which case you should grind them before use and add like you would any other spice.

It's very unlikely you will find ambrette seed in your local spice shop, so you will have to find it online. Look for shelled but whole, un-ground seeds, as the fatty and oily components inside the seeds can easily get rancid once exposed to the air, which will greatly affect the scent and aroma. It's the skin of the tiny seeds that possesses most of the aroma anyway, so grind just as much as you need for immediate use and store them whole in an airtight container and away from heat, light and moisture - where they will remain fragrant profile for years.

I adore ambrette seed as a perfume material and use it in countless of my perfumes, but most notably in Cabaret, Sahleb, Tamya, Espionage and Zangvil, where its subtle musky notes come through and greatly complement the floral, powdery and ambery notes. It's so delicate, and really brings out the best of florals. Together with the flower essences (i.e.: rose, orange blossom, jasmine and tuberose) it really transforms - similarly to ambergris - and opens up on on the skin to what is definitely what I would call an aphrodisiac.

Perfumes containing ambrette seeds calm the mind and make me feel connected to my own skin, and to me that's what aphrodisiacs should be all about. They don't necessarily need to transport you into a far away exotic land or make you feel like some mythological sex goddess or act as a non-stop viagra dispensing machine (not that one like that exists, last time I checked) - but silently turn a little key and make the necessary switch from the worries of everyday life into something more sensual and pleasing that allows for things to happen. I suspect the "trick" of ambrette seed is two-fold: the fact that it helps to ease stress and nervousness, and also its stark resemblance to human skin (it is, somewhat, reminiscent of the scent of a baby's head too!). So wear a perfume with an ambrette seed in its base, rather than a synthetic musk, and enjoy the subtle yet powerful action of true botanical aphrodisiac.

Aphro-tea-siacs in Fresh Cup Magazine Featuring Ayala Moriel's Aphrodisiac Tera Party


The April issue of Fresh Cup Magazine features an article titled APHRO-TEA-SIACS: Exploring the sexy side of infusions by Steven Krolak includes an extensive interview with me and Dawna (the wonderful lady who makes my tea line), about aphrodisiacs in perfume and tea, and my last Aphrodisiac Tea Party I hosted for my customers for Valentine's Day.
Click here to visit the online edition of the current issue (p. 46-51).

Aphrodisiac Tea Party + Contest and Giveaway


Here are some pics from the Aphrodisiac Tea Party yesterday, as promised. It was the most attended tea party in my history of tea party hosting; yet thankfully there was enough tea (and cups!) for everyone. Food seems to always be over abundant, but this time nothing was gone to waste...

The photo above is of aphrodisiacs stored in a Valentine cookie box, and these are the dry raw aromatics - ambrette seed, rose petals, tonka bean, costu root, ambergris, pink peppercorns and a nutmeg; we smelled the essential oils and absolutes as well; and we also smelled essences such as myrrh, jasmine, tuberose, East Indian sandalwood and labdanum.

Some interesting stats: we had a total of just over 30 guests; we brewed about 15 liters of tea, eaten 5 loaves of bread (made into delicious tea sandwiches), 19 cupcakes, 12 mini cheesecakes, 80 truffles or so, and an unknown number of cookies (still tons left, for the lucky studio guests in the next couple of weeks, and for myself!).


1st Tier:
Tomato-Basil open sandwiches (these were heart shaped!)
Wasabi-Cucumber tea sandwiches
Minted Radishes tea sandwiches
Egg sandwiches

2nd Tier: Scones, Cream & Jam
Heart-shaped whole wheat and rose bud scones
Concord grapes and blue cheese scones
Served with Devonshire cream and wild Rose-Petal jelly (Wild Westcoast Rainforest Products) and Lavender jelly (Preserved BC Sunshine)


3rd Tier: Small cakes and Petit-Fours
Blood-Orange Mini Cheescakes
Banana & nutmeg cupcakes with peanut butter icing or caramel sauce
Raspberry Brownies (recipe by Wendy Boys from Cocolico)

4th Tier: Cookies
Korova cookies
Ginger Ice-box Cookies
Lavender Shortbread

5th Tier: Truffles
Blood Truffles (70% dark chocolate with roses, chili and saffron)
White Potion Truffles (white chocolate with tuberose, almond and coconut)

Tea Selection:
Black Tea:
Roses et Chocolat (Ayala Moriel)
Earl Gray Cream (Herbal Republic)

Green Tea:
Charisma (Ayala Moriel)
Jasmine & Rose house blend

Caffeine-Free Brew:
Immortelle l’Amour (Ayala Moriel) – rooibos based
Aztec-inspired Spiced Hot Chocolate (Cocoa) - we actually never made this... There was not enough time to steam the milk!


Photo was taken by Laura Zerebeski's iPhone

And now to the contest: name at least 5 aphrodisiacs (actual ingredients, not menu items!!!) that we ate at the tea party and enter to win a mini of Roses et Chocolat parfum!
(draw on February 10th).

Ayala's Aphrodisiac Guide

Dear Fragrant Friends,

Sunrays have been gracing Vancouver in the past week, reminding me the possibilities of spring as the days grow longer. A season marked by its shameless display of sexuality by plants and animal alike – from birds mating and nesting to colourful flower beds and blooming trees. I really cannot wait for the cherry and almond blossoms to come out!

And so in some ways, the early spring holidays, such as Tu Bishvat (a Jewish holiday celebrated on February 9th this year) - otherwise know as the New Year of the Trees; and Valentine’s Day only 5 days later, both mark the awakening of the senses and renewal of life after the surviving the challenges of the dark season.

In this newsletter:

Aphrodisiacs 101




"If there's bread there's love" by Noam Dehan

Since the beginning of time, perfumes and aromatics were used to seduce, empower and get us closer to God, ourselves and one another. The earliest perfumes were incense – burnt resins, woods and gums whose smoke was believed to carry one’s prayers to the gods, and also seduce one’s mind to focus on the inner self.

Aphrodisiacs have been mankind’s obsession, probably just as long – herbs, spices, fruit and animal body parts that were believed to awaken the passion and bring forth love. Aphrodisiacs can be beautiful luscious fruit like figs or bananas, rare flowers such as mandrake or orchid, exotic tree bark such as yohimbe, or in the oddest cases – rhinoceros horns and the tiger’s penile bone. In the modern Western world, aphrodisiacs are mostly replaced by supplements and prescription drugs that are quite readily available yet have none of the mystique of their former selves. Thankfully, for those of us still seeking mystery and excitement there is still perfume.

The Art of Olfactory Seduction





So what makes perfume so seductive and sensual?

Regardless if a perfume contains aphrodisiacs or not - it can give you something that no capsule or drug would: Perfume has the power to seduce the senses, lure us to love and set the mood for passion. Some of it is still a complete mystery (which makes it so much more fun and interesting) and some of it is can be explained by analyzing and understanding the type of stimulation different perfumes offer.

Part of why perfume is so seductive is because it makes the person who wears it feel good about themselves. Feeling confident usually attracts the opposite sex – perhaps even if the woman was unable to smell the scent, as a recent study shows.

This is why my answer to the famous question “what perfume will attract the opposite sex” is first and foremost – a perfume that attracts you! For that purpose, knowing yourself and what you like and dislike is key. Which is why I offer fragrance consultations as an integral part of my service to all of my customers. No matter where you or your loved one live– I am always here to help you find the perfect scent for you, one that would speak to your heart and seduce your senses. I will either help you pick a scent from my collection of 54 originally composed perfumes, hand-blended to perfection; or if you wish to embark on an even more adventurous journey – create a Signature Scent that is just for you – an unforgettable olfactory impression of you.

Ayala’s Aphrodisiac Guide



When we look at the aromatics that are considered aphrodisiacs in aromatherapy practice, and have been used for centuries by ancient traditions as well as in perfumery – they seem to be divided into four major categories: stimulants, erogenous/sedative scents, narcotic flowers, and those who mimic the human’s body odour or pheromones.

Of course, keep in mind that there are also personal differences – you may be more prone to react to certain aphrodisiacs than others. A scent that a former lover had worn may increase (or decrease, it all depends) desire when smelled again even when they are not around…



Spicing it Up: Stimulating Notes


Here is where you will find most of the spice oils. Creating the sensation of heat, the increase blood pressure and circulation is similar to sexual arousal. Spice oils have a definite character of their own, and spice up any perfume composition, quite literally. These include essential oils, CO2 and absolute extractions from the exotic yet familiar spices in our kitchen, such as:

* Black Pepper * Ginger * Cinnamon * Cardamom * Clove Buds * Nutmeg * Juniper Berry

Recommended spicy perfumes:

Wake up to smell the coffee and warm spices with Finjan; wrap yourself in a sexy woolen shawl with Ginger & Amber; and have a romantic cinnamon-waffles brunch with Immortlle l’Amour topped with maple syrup.

Some herbs also have a lively, spicy, pungent aroma with a similar effect, and these oils can be used similarly to spice-up and add a vibrant passion to a scent. These herbs are also known as anti-depressants and stimulants, which might explain a lot about their effect as aphrodisiacs:

* Spearmint * Peppermint * Rosemary * Basil

Enjoy a good dose of flirt with ArbitRary’s basil and lime combination; enjoy a sprig of rosemary on your Gaucho ride; and show off your Charisma with this sexy pairing of jasmine green tea, spearmint and bergamot.

Scents from the Boudoir: Sedative, Erogenous Notes





While the previous category was mostly of pungent, lively spices and herbs – oftentimes eroticism and sexual arousal needs a relaxing environment for the mind and the body for the passionate feeling to be awakened. Deep, sensual aromas such as resins, balsams and woods provide that type of stimulation. Cumin one of the notes that is the most similar to human sweat than any other that I know of. And frankincense and myrrh are more traditionally considered as sedatives in aromatherapy, which also might explain their traditional religious uses – as they soothe both physical and emotional pain and calm the mind. Labdanum (rockrose) is a mild aphrodisiac of a sweet, balsamic nature which is slightly reminiscent of feminine sexual secretions.

* Agarwood * Ambrette Seed * Atals Cedarwood * Costus * Cumin * Frankincense * Myrrh * Labdanum * Patchouli

Use Film Noir to deceivingly seduce your victim. It will even linger on your lover’s clothes if you sneak a scented Film Noir sachet into her lingerie drawer or his coat’s pocket.

Get dirty with Autumn’s sweaty sex notes of cumin and labdanum; and indulge yourself and your lover in Razala’s Arabian oud, ambergris and myrrh.

Say it with Flowers: Floral and Narcotic Notes




Flowers are the plants’ genitalia, and in their evolution have developed interesting interrelations with the animal kingdom to help them spread their genes. Flowers take on shapes and colours similar to those of insects and even aromas that would make them more attractive to the animals they rely on helping them pollinate and procreate. And it is therefore not surprising that flowers have been used to communicate emotions such as love and desire and been regarded to symbolize virtues such as beauty (red roses), purity (white roses or lilies), modesty (violet) or seduction (tuberose).

Most floral notes are rich with indole, a chemical that is actually found in human feces. It’s interesting how this note has both the power to repel and compel. An overdose of indole is definitely off-putting; but it is this very molecule that makes jasmine smell so attractive and sensual. Synthetic jasmine compounds that lack this element were found to be completely useless… Another narcotic floral is tuberose, a flower related to the narcissus whose odour intensifies at night time. It is so potent that in the olden days, virgin girls were forbidden from going through tuberose fields after sunset from fear that the flower’s power will overcome their modest virtues.

* Jasmine * Narcissus * Rose * Tuberose * Ylang Ylang * Orange Blossom

Get dreamy with White Potion’s creamy tuberose and matching candle, and venture on dangerous territories with Schizm’s explosion of white florals – tuberose, orange blossom and jasmine on a bed of fungi. For the jasmine lover there is nothing more poetic than Yasmin’s dawn-to-midnight bloom.


And for the die-hard rose lovers, we have several red rose bouquets to choose from:

Cabaret, with an edible explosion rosewater and coconut, amber and musk; Fête d'Hiver - an irresistible powdery rose and incense perfume; and Rosebud for the pure, fresh rose lover.

Song of Songs is perhaps the most poetic expression of love inspired by the Song of Solomon, pairing the qualities of ancient erogenous resins, saffron spice and several types of roses. And last but not least - Roses et Chocolat can be experienced simultaneously as a perfume, tea, candle and chili spiked chocolate truffles.

Not to mention this gorgeous, rosy vintage pillbox and rose-shaped poison ring to match your selection of rose perfume!

Chemical Illusions and Secret Secretions




And lastly, there are notes that either imitate or stimulate a sexual hormone or mimic a human sexual odour - and are often used in aromatherapy to balance these hormones. The most famous of these is Clary Sage, which acts as an estrogen balancer for women. Aniseed has a similar effect and has a mysterious aroma that can be very valuable in scented love potion. Licorice, which has a similar taste to that of aniseed, is said to stimulate both estrogen and testosterone.

The concept of odorous pheromones in humans still contains a large portion of an unproven myth. Pheromones are primarily used by insects – and in fact are usually scentless chemicals that activate a built-in reaction in those creatures. Insects communicate with pheromones to deliver information about food, danger and sexual cycles to other individuals within their species. Even though some odorous pheromones were discovered in humans, their role in the mating process haven’t been solidly proven yet. It is more likely that the scents that cause people to choose their mates are a result of metabolic processes and are indicative of genetic or immune-system related information that is specific to the individuals rather than have any connection to pheromones (which are a species-wide phenomenon and in humans have probably less impact on the mating process).

Animal secretion, which are usually used by the animal itself to attract the other sex within their species, have a similar effect on humans, even though in full concentration they usually smell repulsive. Musk are particularly associated with the natural sexual scent of men, and ambergris (as well as its vegetal perfumer’s imitation called “amber”) is considered more feminine. Sandalwood oil is unique for its chemical make up that is quite similar
to Androstenol – a pheromone found in men’s sweat. Generally speaking,
men’s natural body odour is more sharp and similar to musk, and women’s
body odour is sweeter and reminiscent of amber (as mentioned earlier – labdanum has a similar scent to some extent).


* Ambergris * Civet * Musk & musky notes * Sandalwood


Espionage is not only my favourite perfume, but also the one that most closely resembles the skin’s natural scent with its vegetal musks. It’s perfect especially if you want to sneak up on someone… A dab of Bon Zai will give you a sutble but lasting supply of sandalwood’s pheromones; Sahleb will give your skin an innocently sensual milkiness with its abanudance of ambrette and orris; and Razala has a love-potion reputation of capturing the hearts of men and women alike. animalic notes of ambergris and agarwood.

Vote for Virgo Perfume on Etsy Storque




Virgo Zodiac Perfume was nominated by Storque (Etsy's blog) as one of 60 best Season of Love Ladies items on Etsy.com.

Please vote here to show your support!

Romantic Gift Ideas


For more gift ideas for Valentine's Day, visit our Gifts Page or Ayala's Etsy Shop for rare finds (poison rings and other collectibles) and one-of-a-kind perfumes ready to be adopted as your signature scent!

And of course call us anytime so we can help you find the perfect gift and personalize it for your loved ones!

Chocolate Elixir & Truffles




Chocolate is a praised aphrodisiac that creates a feel-good reaction that is similar to that we feel when we fall in love and is just as addictive, as theobramine (one of the main active constituents in cocoa) simulates endorphins in the nervous system . Chocolate paired with chili peppers is a powerfully stimulating love potion and also tastes magnificently good! It’s easy to make your own spiced hot-chocolate, spiked with black chili peppers, vanilla and cinnamon (click here for a recipe).

Last declaration of love for the chocoholics among us: I will be making my infamous Blood Truffles (dark chocolate, rose, saffron and chili) and White Potion truffles (white chocolate, tuberose and coconut) this weekend, which can be delivered to your door within 2-3 business days - just in time for Valentine's Day!

Each truffle gift box contains 8 beautiful truffles and is tied with a ribbon ready to be received as a gift. If you prefer a different flavour, you can also order a full batch of 40 truffles from our original flavours or get one custom-made for you.

Next week: Last Minute Romantic Ideas and Menu for Valentine's Day



Love & Luck,


Ayala

Ayala Moriel Parfums
AyalaMoriel.com
My SmellyBlog: SmellyBlog.comTel.: (778) 863-0806
Address: 1230 Haro Street, Buzz #295,Vancouver, BC
Hours: Mon-Thu 8:00am-4:00pm; Sundays & evenings by appointment only
Address: PO Box 93589 Nelson Park, Vancouver, BC, V6E 4L7


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