Many cultures’ folkloric pharmacopoeias feature aphrodisiacs. These substances lack a proven Viagra-style effect; they won’t magically cure any underlying medical issues, either. Regardless, users are convinced of their potency, perhaps because aphrodisiacs can stimulate the senses and the imagination, tapping into the excitement that taste, touch, sights, smells, and fantasies can bring to our libidos. Here are five fruits of the sea that humanity employs as passion enhancers—and the qualities that earned each one its sensual reputation.

1. Tiger Pufferfish (Takifugu rubripes)
Consuming a teaspoon of the pufferfish’s testes in a cup of steaming sake is supposed to be a turn-on, but you won’t likely find this beverage in any reputable establishment—the gonads, among other organs, contain the potentially fatal toxins tetrodotoxin and saxitoxin. F. rubripes’s nontoxic bits are served as a delicacy in Japan, and only specially trained fish cutters are licensed to prepare them. Even so, restaurants break rules, and brushes with death have happened, which means that indulging in this fish flesh is always at least a slight gamble. Diners consuming the risky fare might mistake their pounding hearts and spiked adrenaline for arousal—danger and desire provoke a similar reaction from the sympathetic nervous system. And some diners have reported that purposely leaving a tiny, non-lethal hint of toxins in the fish (not recommended) kindles a suggestive tingling on the lips.

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Photo courtesy of Reed Wiedower.