Afterward, students participated in a sensuous dish making contest, with the winner receiving Meijer gift cards and an aphrodisiac cook book.

“The purpose is for students to talk about the food, sex, communication and intimacy involved in sharing a meal together,” said Erin Williston, a sexual health educator from Olin Health Center.

Teams of couples utilized the cafeteria’s full range of foods to make the most sexually appealing dish.

It’s a well-known fact that aphrodisiacs such as oysters, chocolate and bananas stimulate the sexual responses of consumers.

Chef and professor Allan Sherwin of the School of Hospitality Business said aphrodisiacs are classified as sexually arousing due to their chemical makeup as well as their shape.

“The most common is oysters because they have a lot of zinc,” Sherwin said. “Plus oyster has an anatomical similarity to a male testicle.”

The winning dish consisted of nuts, carrots and lots of sugar and received high accolades from the student judges.

Following a trivia session centered around the history of food and sexuality, the 25-30 students on hand got to taste-test a number of aphrodisiac vegetables and deserts.

Human biology junior Caitlin Wurster said she’s noticed a connection between food and sexuality.

“I think there is a relationship between the two,” she said. “The mouth is sensual in that people kiss with it and eat with it.”

Others said food is more closely associated with body image.

“People are worried about food making them look fat, and I think it’s pleasurable just to have a nice meal,” said Elissa Pastuzyn, a zoology senior who participated in the dish competition.

Williston said the event serves as the first time Olin’s combined nutrition and sexual health after a perceived need on campus.

“Some body image issues come out in food issues,” she said. “We want to show that couples shouldn’t worry about calories in the food and just enjoy the meal.”