It's not oysters, caviar or the countless other foods alleged to get you in the mood. Instead, women in Beverly Hills, Calif., are swearing by a certain kind of chocolate truffle called K Sensual.
Sold at K Chocolatier, the quarter-sized treats are made with three kinds of cocoa beans and exotic Chinese herbs -- including something called "horny goat weed."
Diane Kron, who created the chocolates and owns K Chocolatier, has quite a chocolate pedigree. In 1973, she started Krön Chocolatier in New York City based on recipes from her husband's great grandfather, who made chocolate for Hungarian royalty.
Krön Chocolatier fans included Jacqueline Kennedy, Richard Avedon and Katherine Hepburn. That business has since been sold.
In 2000, Kron launched her shop in Beverly Hills. K Chocolatier sells dark-chocolate-covered cranberries and dark-chocolate-covered orange peel sticks. But what's getting the most attention is the K Sensual, which contains unusual ingredients that allegedly can increase a woman's sensitivity during lovemaking.
"It just sort of hits the spot," Kron said. "It's like a magic bullet for your libido."
While they may taste delicious, there's no hard proof that K Sensual chocolates actually work. Although one customer said they made her "feel really, really warm in certain parts" of her body, another admitted that the power of suggestion could be part of it.
But does it work for men? Kron says the chocolates are intended for women but that doesn't stop her male customers from sampling.
"I didn't really notice much of an effect, but rumor is it really is a version of the female Viagra," said Ken Sherman.
Eastern medicine says certain herbs, such as the ones in K Sensual, increase blood circulation in the body, making it more sensitive to the touch. The reason men don't feel it as much is a matter of anatomy: Blood flow in their bodies is already focused in the pelvis area.
