Greg Harris
There’s a daring new sex trend taking over bedrooms as we speak. And yes, it may involve your favorite snacks.
From sweet treats to food toppings, couples are getting creative with food in ways that are equal parts playful and might make you feel a bit peckish.
But before you raid the kitchen and turn your partner into a buffet table, experts say there are a few important things to keep in mind.
Because while mixing pleasure with pantry staples may sound like fun (or maybe just extremely sticky and messy), doing it safely (and hygienically) is the real secret ingredient to keeping things enjoyable for those thinking of dabbling in sitophillia.
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According to the Sexual Health Alliance, sitophilia describes a desire to fulfil sexual fantasies that centre on eating and drinking. That can look like a partner squirting you with whipped cream, drizzling your partner's collarbone with caramel sauce before slowly tasting it away, or dripping honey across your they stomach and savouring every last lick.
While bringing a little flavour into the bedroom might turn up the heat, experts stress that safe play is non-negotiable. Because when food ends up somewhere it shouldn’t, things can go from sexy to seriously uncomfortable because of a number of health concerns.
"Food and foreplay are very sensual, and there are totally safe ways to go about this to have an enjoyable experience," ob-gyn Alyssa Dweck, M.D., co-author of V is for Vagina, explains to Women's Health.
While food play may start off around the chest, neck and stomach area, things may soon quickly progress down south.
But you need to be very careful about what goes in and around the vagina, Dweck warns.
"We had a story where a girl came into the ER because her partner tried to put aerosolised whipped cream up the vagina - big trouble with that," she shared.
The expert went on to warn against putting any foods inside the vagina.
Due to the skin in this area being more delicate, it's important to avoid anything that could be potentially irritating, clinical sexologist Kat Van Kirk, PhD, adds.
One doctor-approved option for play around the vulva? Coconut oil. Some experts say that, for certain people, swapping your usual lube for this silky kitchen staple can feel natural, nourishing, and seriously sensual.
That said, it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. If you rely on latex condoms to protect against STIs or pregnancy, oil-based products are a no-go as they can weaken latex and increase the risk of breakage.
And while it might be tempting to reach for whatever’s in the kitchen or bathroom cabinet, other oils (yes, including baby oil) are best left out of the bedroom. They can disrupt the vagina’s natural balance and raise the risk of irritation or yeast infections.
And so the takeaway, and we're not talking about fast food, is that plenty of foods are perfectly fine for surface-level teasing. Such as, whipped cream well above the surface, and not inside. And for penetration, stick to products designed for exactly that purpose.