How To Make Sensual Damiana Rose Petal Honey - A Unique Wedding or Bridal Shower Gift or to Share with a Lover

This honey might entice more than just your taste buds! Damiana is said to have aphrodisiac qualities.

Share this one with someone special.

• Eat it on bread or toast.
• Drizzle over ice cream or fresh fruits.
• Mix it into wine or champagne.
• You can also use it as a substitute for normal honey in your baking, or even use it to brew mead.
• Try my Damiana Rose Tequila Sour, or the decadent Chocolate Damiana Rose Martini.

You can also decorate the jar as a lovely bridal shower or wedding gift.

We traditionally use this honey at Beltaine, mixed into woodruff wine. Make this recipe during the waxing moon for extra potency.

Used by the ancient Mayans to combat depression, damiana or turnera diffusa, relieves stress, giving the user a mild euphoria that has been likened to a marijuana high.

Damiana is known as an aphrodisiac for both men and women.

It strengthens and restores the reproductive organs of both sexes. Studies have not yet proven that it increases fertility, however damiana has long been associated with fertility. In fact a Mexican company offers their damiana liqueur in a bottle shaped like a pregnant woman.

This herb helps to balance the hormones. It is helpful in the treatment of urinary infections and is believed to help prevent prostate cancer. In larger doses it can have laxative effects. Damiana tea can also reduce headaches.

Damiana should not be used by pregnant or nursing mothers. Some studies have indicated that it should not be used by children. (You can always make a batch of this honey without the damiana to share with the kids.) It should not be used for two weeks prior to undergoing surgery. Dosages over 200g are dangerous. (Err on the side of caution and use much less.)

Be certain to use herbs that are pesticide free and labeled for human consumption. If picking herbs from a garden, be sure that they have not been exposed to pesticides.

I prefer to use honey that's organic, raw and when possible, local. Eating local honey can actually help you develop an immunity to local plant allergens.

It's not always easy to find local honey. Few of the big chain supermarkets carry it, as many don't deal with suppliers at the local level. Your best bets are health food stores, smaller ethnic markets and farmers markets.

You can also do a yellow pages or internet search for beekeepers in your area. Failing that (since many smaller beekeepers don't advertise) ask your librarian. (You'd be surprised what your librarian knows about your community!) The beekeeping club met at our library back in Colorado, 4 times a year.

Another source might be your nearest brewing supply, as honey is the main ingredient in homebrewed mead.

Decide if you want to go the romantic route, or the wedding route. (Or something completely different.)

You can go the super-easy way by just covering the cap with a nice piece of fabric and tying a decorative ribbon on it. Use a rubber band beneath the ribbon to hold the cloth on tight.

For a more elaborate jar, you can glue beads, gems, seashells (a symbol of Aphrodite, one of the Goddesses of Love) dried flowers or other ornaments. Use them on the cap or even on the glass itself. A hot glue gun can work well for this.

For a romantic theme, the most obvious choice is pinks and reds, as these are the colors we associate with romance and passion.

For a wedding theme, pearls and white lace are especially appropriate. If you know what wedding colors the person receiving your gift will be using, you can match those colors.

Or if they've got a special theme to their wedding you can even match that.

Tequila Sours are one of my favorite mixed drinks. This cocktail uses Damiana Rose Honey rather than the traditional simple syrup.

• 1 oz Damiana Rose Honey
• 1 teaspoon rosewater
• 6 oz tequila
• 1 1/2 oz lemon or lime juice
• 1 cup ice
• 2 maraschino cherries
• 2 slices lemon, lime or orange

Combine all ingredients except the fruit slices and cherries in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously. Strain into two sour glasses. (Or wine glasses.)

Garnish each with a slice of citrus, and drop in a maraschino cherry.

Serves two.

Three aphrodisiac ingredients in one deliciously decadent cocktail.

• 4 oz chocolate liqueur
• 3 oz vodka
• 1 tsp Damiana Rose Honey
• 1 tsp rosewater
• 1 cup ice
• Chocolate syrup
• 2 rose petals (optional)

Drizzle a bit of the chocolate syrup into two martini glasses in a decorative pattern.

Combine all other ingredients except the rose petals in a cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously and strain into the martini glasses.

If the rose petals are available, drop one into each glass as a garnish.

Serves two. Because with this drink, three is a crowd.

I get damiana from my local herb store. but you can also find it online.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 1 week to 1 month

Serves:

Damiana Rose Petal Honey photo by Lionrhod

I'd like to thank the following folks for the use of their photos.

Via Wikimedia Commons by Creative Commons Share Alike:

Flowering Damiana H. Zell

Dried Damiana Leaf by Maša Sinreih in Valentina Vivod