It’s time to spice up your relationship.
It’s finally starting to get cold outside, days are darker, and it’s not as enjoyable to do outdoor activities — which means that cuffing season has arrived.
‘Tis the season to get “cuffed” by a special someone and exclusively date for the short-term period during the colder winter months to help cure the winter blues.
But what happens if you get into a relationship during cuffing season and don’t want it to be short-lived?
Enter: “forking season.”
HelloFresh and Tinder are introducing that new coupling phase — when a relationship evolves into something more serious and deeper connections form.
“Shared experiences over any meal can help maintain passion in a loving relationship, especially when sensory-stimulating spices are involved,” Devyn Simone, Tinder’s resident relationship expert, told The Post.
New data gathered by HelloFresh revealed that couples typically make the move from casual to committed on the fifth date — often through a homemade meal — and 81% of Americans agreed that having a home-cooked meal date for the first time means the relationship is getting serious.
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The idea of a home-cooked meal marking a significant shift in a relationship “illustrates the powerful role food can play in a relationship and highlights the value of experiencing new and fresh date ideas that are more interactive than sitting across from each other in a restaurant,” said Simone, adding that cooking together is a great way to test compatibility and communication skills — not to mention “turn up the heat on your date — both figuratively and literally.”
Extra spice in the kitchen for a dinner date certainly won’t hurt, either, which is why the meal kit company and the popular dating app launched a collection of Forking Seasonings for exactly that — adding spice.
“Cooking is a multi-sensory experience that can be tantalizing in its own right and enhanced with the right combination of flavors and spices,” said Simone, noting that it can be “sexy” when a paramour showcases culinary talent.
The Forking Seasoning spices — Ignite (cinnamon, cloves, and ginger), Spark (saffron and salt) and Kindle (vanilla and sugar) — are marketed as being designed to both “enhance flavor” and “excite the senses.”
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They may be on the mark, too: A UCLA paper suggests that spices including saffron, cloves, ginger, vanilla and more have long offered aphrodisiac energy — or, as they frame it, a “voluptuously stimulating environment for invigoration of romantic encounters.”
Quite literally, you can use spices to get spicy.
If you’re looking for flavors that showcase those aphrodisiacal properties, check out this rundown of some of the best spice-inducing spices.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon has long been considered a natural aphrodisiac, as it was used as a spice for love potions in ancient times. The aroma alone can stimulate arousal and attraction, according to Allo Health.
The spice can naturally boost your libido and sexual desires since it contains antioxidants that boost blood circulation throughout the body — including the genitals — amplifying sensitivity and arousal. Studies have also shown that cinnamon can increase sperm count.
Cinnamon can stimulate brain receptors and increase dopamine levels linked to sexual desires and arousal, studies suggest.
Saffron
Saffron is seemingly popular for its aphrodisiacal properties — especially, apparently, for those taking antidepressants.
One study revealed that male patients with major depressive disorder who consumed 30 milligrams of saffron per day for four weeks had improved erectile function than those who took a placebo.
Another study found that a group of women who took saffron daily had higher levels of arousal and increased lubrication compared to those in the placebo group.
The spice contains picrocrocin, which is thought to provoke erotic sensations.
Ginger
Ginger contains gingerols, zingiberene and other agents that create a seductive flavor.
A study from earlier this year looked at whether disgust from sexual body fluids would reduce sexual arousal — and if ginger would have an impact on those reactions.
It found that ginger increased arousal toward erotic stimuli in both men and women and, due to its arousal-enhancing effect, could improve the sexual function of individuals.
Vanilla
Vanilla’s aphrodisiac properties are believed to come from its seedpod’s scent and flavor.
According to “sexual health and intimacy” site Heart and Honey, the scent is linked with a higher increase in sexual arousal than any other scent for men.
As for women, vanilla gives them “a feeling of comfort and peace, encouraging a sense of safety.”
Nutmeg
Nutmeg seeds were used as an aphrodisiac in ancient times, according to Science Direct.
Its primary active ingredient is myristicin, which could have psychoactive effects if consumed in large quantities.
The ingredient may increase levels of dopamine, which might explain its use as an aphrodisiac for pleasure.
Cloves
Cloves have been used as an aphrodisiac since ancient times.
According to Minerva Natural Health, cloves can increase testosterone levels in males and amplify desire, stimulation and hormonal balance in women.
The aroma can also boost penile blood flow and enhance orgasm quality in men, the site claims.
Garlic
Garlic has high levels of the compound allicin, which can improve blood flow to sex organs. It’s been used as an aphrodisiac for centuries, with ancient civilizations using garlic as a means to increase stamina and sexual desire, according to the Australian Menopause Centre.
Allicin is released when a clove is crushed or chopped and is known to increase blood flow and circulation.
Garlic also contains antioxidants that reduce stress levels — and stress can negatively affect a person’s libido.
Fenugreek
Fenugreek, an herb similar to clover, contains the same compounds the body uses to produce estrogen and testosterone, according to Healthline.
The National Institutes of Health says the extract is reported to improve libido, glucose control, cholesterol levels and circadian rhythm
Ginseng
Ginseng has long had a reputation as an aphrodisiac, as well as for treating sexual dysfunction and enhancing sexual behavior, according to a 2013 study.
The research also found that the spice can make current treatment strategies for male reproductive disorders more effective.