Lettuce - The Phallic Symbol and a Favorite of the Egyptian God of Fertility

You may add it to your salads and burgers, but this simple green veggie had a much more important use in ancient Egypt.An Egyptologist from the American University of Cairo claims that lettuce was actually a phallic symbol in the ancient Egypt, and was the favorite food of the Egyptian god of fertility. Turns out, it was this simple veggie that earned him a reputation as an irresistible lover. Salima Ikram, the Egyptologist, claims that lettuces can be seen drawn on the walls of ancient Egyptian tombs dating back to as long as 2,000 BC. What's more, apparently, Min, the Egyptian god of fertility, was known to have lettuce as his favorite food. Min, often described in ancient paintings with an erect penis, may have used lettuce as an aphrodisiac, Ikram claims. "One of the reasons why [the Egyptians] associated the lettuce with Min was because it grows straight and tall—an obvious phallic symbol," Ikram explains. Even today, modern Egyptians use lettuce as a home remedy to accelerate hair growth. The Greeks and the Romans too, made use of this vegetable to help induce sleep in people. Thanks to this new revelation, the aphrodisiac properties of lettuce may now be used in different medicines, or may prove to be an effective home remedy for many reproductive problems.