A 19th-century recipe for an "aphrodisiac sorbet" has been uncovered by archivists in Germany.
The recipe, written on yellowy parchment in the Saxon state archives in Dresden, is believed to have been drawn up by the Raugrave of Wackerbarth, who is thought to have invented mulled wine, reports the Daily Telegraph.
"There is much to suggest that it was an iced aphrodisiac," Gisela Petrasch told Bild newspaper. "Wackerbarth recorded the strange recipe on 9 April 1844. It is not known whether he came up with it himself by experimentation or learnt it from someone else."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The formula for the "potency sorbet" includes egg whites, lemon juice, sugar, "delicious lozenges from the pharmacy" and a few grains of ambergris, which website Jezebel helpfully defines as "an extremely valuable substance occasionally coughed up by whales, thought to be composed of their intestinal secretions".
August Josef Ludwig von Wackerbarth was a renowned historian, art collector and alleged part-time alchemist. His recipe for Gluhwein is considered the oldest surviving example of mulled wine.
Aphrodisiac Sorbet
Ingredients:
The whites of two eggs
The juice of two lemons
Two pounds of sugar
Four ounces of "delicious lozenges from the pharmacy"
A few grains of ambergris (or the glandular secretions of a muskrat)
Method
Mix this together in half measure with water, and cook for some time over a slow fire
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designationThe Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across SyriaTHE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weaponsThe Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarrayIn the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month
-
Ukrainian election: who could replace Zelenskyy?The Explainer Donald Trump's 'dictator' jibe raises pressure on Ukraine to the polls while the country is under martial law
