Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, and once again florists are delivering over-priced bouquets to women at their offices, and restaurants and hotels are serving up expensive, romantic dinners, in order to squeeze as much as they can out of attentive lovers.
Every year writers regurgitate saccaharine-sweet, lovey-dovey suggestions on what to do for your honey bunny this Valentine's Day. There have been reams written about the aphrodisiac qualities of caviar, oysters, truffles, chocolates and champagne.
For this occasion, people have booked their favourite restaurants to bring that special someone to, or are frantically attempting to cook that magical meal which they hope will help them seduce their loved one. The updated saying that 'the way to a person's heart is through his or her stomach' isn't far off the mark.
But the reverse works just as well. If some foods encourage love, others can kill it. The former are known as aphrodisiacs, so the latter can be considered anti-aphrodisiacs.
A quick, unscientific poll showed remarkable consensus on what not to serve or order at a romantic dinner. Garlic, onions and other highly aromatic foods were named - garlicky kisses aren't going to make your loved one pant for more. But there are many other foods that will make someone somewhere run for the nearest exit. When cooking for a romantic interest, it's best to play it safe.
Greg Derham, owner of the House of Siren, says 'for an anti-aphrodisiac, anything in the offal line I don't like very much.