It’s St Valentine’s Day — the day that the birds are supposed to begin looking for a mate which makes it the most romantic day of the year. Well it’s certainly the one of the most celebrated days of the year, generating world-wide sales for Valentine cards of more than a billion.

This is the day that many restaurants dread as they have to provide tables for two which is not always easy when most of their tables are designed for four. That said, Valentine’s Day always provides the chefs with an exciting challenge which they sometimes face by including at least one ingredient that’s considered an aphrodisiac. There is certainly a bewildering array of foods and ingredients credited with aphrodisiac qualities they can choose from, including oysters which provide a sensuous experience through their appearance, smell, sensation in the mouth and taste. They were a firm favourite of Casanova, the 18th-century lover who is said to have breakfasted on 50 raw oysters.

Parma ham, which is dependent on a traditional production process passed down from Roman times, may not be classified as an aphrodisiac as such, but it is certainly a romantic ingredient which will enhance most dishes to which it is added. Carefully controlled by the Cosorzio del Prosciutto di Parma, this delicately flavoured ham has to have passed stringent curing regulations approved by the EU before it can be awarded the stamp of the Ducal crown, a five-pointed coronet logo with PARMA in the centre which is branded on to the ham’s skin. Such is its popularity that more than 1,400,000 bore this crown in 2012. The pigs used in the production of Parma ham are bred in northern and central Italian regions where special hams have been produced since Roman times. Much of its popularity is due to the fact it is an entirely natural product created from only four ingredients: pork, salt, air and time. An ideal ingredient therefore for a Valentine’s dinner, especially if served on a bed of rocket leaves which the Romans credited with aphrodisiac qualities. By dressing this salad with a dressing created from pomegranate juice, or grenadine has been added, it becomes even more exotic, particularly if you toss in a few pomegranate seeds. The juice and flesh of this magnificent fruit has been associated with fertility rituals and wedding feasts. Owing to its abundance of seeds and ability to bleed, it has featured in mythology as a symbol of birth and eternal life. In China they were traditionally thrown to the floor and burst open at wedding feasts, whereas in ancient Greece they were eaten at Dionysian orgies, though these days the Greeks also break them open during a wedding feast. The ancient Egyptians put much faith in pomegranates as they were buried with them in the hope of re-birth. Pomegranates are now being hailed for being able to help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. It is said to contain the highest antioxidant capacities when compared to other juices and green tea. You can obtain their juice by placing the pips into a large sieve, and pressing the seeds against the wires with a soup spoon.

Of course there is one other ingredient which must be added to any dish served today — love. Dishes that are just thrown together with casual indifference will lack this essential ingredient.