The land where LETTUCE was a sex symbol: Leafy vegetables were taken as an aphrodisiac in ancient Egypt and considered a delicacy of the god of fertility

A distant relative of the cos lettuce was viewed as an aphrodisiac and used as a phallic symbol by ancient Egyptians

An egyptologist from the American University of Cairo said lettuce was a phallic symbol and the favourite food of the Egyptian god of fertility, Min

The leafy vegetable helped him earn his reputation as a great lover

A distant relative of the cos lettuce (pictured) was used as an aphrodisiac and as a phallic symbol by the ancient Egyptians, according to one egyptologist

Plenty of people view lettuce as a rather dull salad ingredient but the leafy vegetable had a racier function in ancient Egypt.

A distant relative of the cos lettuce was taken as an aphrodisiac and used as a phallic symbol by the ancient Egyptians, according to one egyptologist.



Salima Ikram of t he American University of Cairo said that lettuces can be seen on the walls of tombs dating back to 2,000 BC and were supposedly the Egyptian god of fertility, Min's favourite food.

The god, who is often depicted with an erect penis in ancient wall paintings and hieroglyphs, was described as the 'great of love' in a text from the Edfu Temple.

And he might have lettuce to thank for this generous title because lettuce was believed to help Min 'perform the sexual act untiringly,' said Professor Ikram.



Lettuces have been eaten for millenia and the earliest version of the salad ingredient resembled a cos or romaine lettuce that we enjoy today, according to Smithsonian .



In ancient Egypt in around 2,000BC, the leafy vegetable was not munched as a light meal or appetiser, but taken as an aphrodisiac, according to Professor Ikram.

She specialises in ancient Egyptian food.

Professor Ikram said Min's role changed over 3,000 years, but his association with the lettuce remained.



Min (left) who is often depicted with an erect penis in ancient wall paintings and hieroglyphs, was described as the 'great of love' in a text from Edfu Temple. The god might have lettuce to thank for his generous title as the leaf was believed to help him 'perform the sexual act untiringly'

THE HISTORY OF LETTUCE

Lettuces became recognisable salad ingredients thanks to the Greeks and Romans in around 85 AD during the reign of Domitian. A salad was included at the beginning of a meal to stimulate appetite. It was eaten again at the end of a lavish meal to aid digestion . The Greeks and Romans used lettuce to help people sleep. Apparently emperor Domitian forced his guests to eat the leafy vegetable before their meal so they would struggle to stay awake for the remainder of their visit.



It is thought that the first depiction of the god with his favoured lettuce appears around 1980BC in The White Chapel of Senusret, although Ikram said there might be earlier examples.

A relief from the funerary temple of Rameses III, shows Min's harvest festival.

A statue of Min is pictured in the centre and behind him is a procession of priests holding small lettuces.

The god is also sometimes depicted wearing a long red ribbon around his forehead to signify his sexual energy.

Professor Ikram told Smithsonian: 'One of the reasons why [the Egyptians] associated the lettuce with Min was because it grows straight and tall—an obvious phallic symbol.'

The lettuce was thought to be sacred to Min because of its straight growth as well as the milky liquid that it exudes when first cut, which could be viewed as a symbol of a mother's milk or even semen.

Interestingly the ancient Egyptians discarded the deep green leaves and instead of using the leaves in a meal, removed the seeds from flower buds.

Min's role changed over 3,000 years, but his association with the lettuce remained. It is thought that the first depiction of the god and the lettuce appears around 1980BC in The White Chapel of Senusret

The Egyptologist said that the seeds were pressed to extract their natural oils, which were used for cooking, medication and even mummification.

The leafy vegetable is also used as a traditional remedy for hair regrowth in modern Egypt.

Lettuces became recognisable salad ingredients thanks to the Greeks and Romans in around 85 AD during the reign of Domitian.

Professor Ikram said that a salad was included at the beginning of a meal to stimulate appetite.

It was eaten again at the end of a lavish meal to aid digestion, according to author Gill Marks.

The Greeks and Romans used lettuce to help people sleep, Professor Ikram added.