Lettuce - the sexual

Not only is the popular salad ingredient, lettuce (lettuce) once considered by the ancient Egyptians as an aphrodisiac herb and used as a symbol for the penis, follows a home Egypt learn.

According to Salima Ikram, an expert from the American University in Cairo, Egypt (AUC), images of lettuce appear on the walls of tombs dating back to 2000 BC and are considered Min's favorite foods. - Egyptian fertility god.

In ancient paintings or carvings on the wall, God Min is often portrayed with "little boy" in an erection state. He is also described as having a superhuman ability in "that" in an ancient text of the Edfu temple. Professor Ikram said, the ancient Egyptians believed that it was the lettuce salad that helped Min to "love" non-stop.

Lettuce vegetables are considered the favorite food of the Egyptian fertility god Min.(Photo: Corbis)

Ms. Ikram, an ancient Egyptian food researcher, added that in this country in 2000 BC, lettuce should not sip as an appetizer or snack, but Used as an aphrodisiac herb.

Min's role has changed for more than 3,000 years but the relationship between him and lettuce is still there. It is said that the depiction of this god and his favorite salad lettuce first appeared in 1980 BC, in the Pharaoh Senusret I temple, although Mrs. Ikram said it could be exported. sooner.

A carved carvings at the pharaoh Rameses III burial temple showed Min's harvest festival. In it, the god is painted in the center and behind is a procession of monks holding small lettuce plants.

Min sometimes appears in ancient paintings with a red string wrapped around his forehead, indicating the abundant energy of his "story" .

Smithsonian magazine quoted Professor Ikram as explaining: "One of the reasons that Egyptians attach lettuce plants to the fertility god is because this plant grows straight and tall - an obvious symbol for the penis. " .

The carved figure simulates the procession of the priest during the festival of harvesting lettuce for god Min.(Photo: Smithsonian)

In addition, lettuce vegetables are considered sacred to god Min because of the opaque plastic that comes out when cut as a symbol of breast milk or even semen.

Another interesting thing is, the ancient Egyptians often did not eat lettuce leaves but extracted seeds from the flower buds of the plants, squeezed natural oils for cooking, medicine making and even serving marinating. body.

According to Professor Ikram, lettuce began to become ingredients for salads by Greeks and Romans around 85 AD, during the reign of Domitian Roman Emperor. A culinary expert once wrote, a salad containing lettuce can be used at the beginning of the meal to stimulate appetite or the end of the meal to aid digestion.

Ancient Romans and Greeks also used lettuce to help sleep well. Some historians note that the Emperor Domitian seems to have forced his guests to eat lettuce before a meal to make them struggle to stay awake for the rest of the visit.