UNRAVELING THE MYTH BEHIND LOCAL APHRODISIAC.

 

The quest continues. Looking at what are considered Aphrodisiacs ,it can be divided into agents that can be classified as “love-potions” – a drink, a substance combined with ritual supposed to have the magic power to make the drinker fall in love with a specified person, mood enhancers and psychoactive drugs, and substances that increase libido and sexual potency, and sexual stamina, for instance "TUENTINI"

Every continent and culture has its fair share of reputed Aphrodisiacs. Since Viagra has been the focus of huge media attention and has created massive public interest in the availability of so-called aphrodisiacs and cures for impotence, this interest also had a knock-on effect which led to a resurgence of sales and general interest in herbal remedies, many of which are from Africa. With the renewed interest in Herbal remedies several traditional aphrodisiacs from Africa have received worldwide interests; prominent amongst them is “AKPETESHIE”.

“AKPETESHIE”is a home-brewed alcoholic spirit produced in Ghana and other West African nations by distilling palm wine or sugar cane juice. Another name for this drink is “APIO”.

The name "AKPETESHIE" was given to the drink with its prohibition: the word comes from a Ga language spoken in greater Accra and means "they are hiding," referring to the secretive way in which non-European inhabitants were forced to consume the beverage. Despite being outlawed, illicit spirits remained commonplace, with reports that even schoolboys were able to easily obtain “AKPETESHEI” through the 1930s. Demand for “AKPETESHIE” and the profits to be made from its sale was enough to encourage the spread of sugar cane cultivation in the Anlo region of Ghana.

 ‘APIO’ OR ‘AKPETESHIE’ is distilled mainly from palm wine and sugarcane. Typically the juice is allowed to ferment over a couple of days. Distilling involves applying intense heat to the fermented juice until it turns into vapour before finally passing through a pipe usually made of copper and then into sieved jars. The setup includes two barrels, one with the boiling fermented juice and the other, a barrel filled with cooling water. Without doubt, the defining feature of the drink is the rather high alcohol content.

The sweetened liquid or wine that comes out is first fermented in large barrels, sometimes with the help of yeast. After this first stage of fermentation fires are built under the barrels in order to bring the liquid to a boil and pass the resulting vapor through a copper pipe within cooling barrels, where it condenses and drips into sieved jars. The boiled juice then undergoes a second stage of fermentation. The resulting spirit is between 40 and 50% alcohol by volume.

The youth of Ghana have` capitalized on the percentage of this drink and also mixes it with other sister drinks like “AGYAPPIAH” “AB3NSUO” and others. Some even call it “LAWYER” because it speaks for them in bed and others also  describes “AKPETESHIE” Aphrodisiac as a true friend of sexually active men and women with a cliche that says Drink “AKPETESHIE” mixture and say goodbye to sexual  incompetence .