The concept of ‘sitophilia’ is gaining popularity as couples look to spice things up in their intimate lives this year.
Recently, trends like ‘warm sex’ have captured public interest, and warnings about the ‘Omorashi’ trend have surfaced.
Now, experts in sex and relationships are discussing ‘sitophilia,’ which involves the use of food in sexual activities.
This practice, also known as ‘food play’ or ‘sploshing,’ is centered around fantasies that involve eating and drinking as part of sexual experience.
While the trend has multiple variations, it often involves partners covering themselves in edible substances, typically sauces, rather than bodily fluids.
Sexual therapist Courtney Boyer, speaking to the Metro, described the appeal: “You don’t need special equipment, and it can feel less intimidating than impact play or restraint. It’s got great ‘dip your toe in’ energy.”
Though it may seem novel, Boyer highlighted that ‘sitophilia’ is far from new and has been practiced in intimate settings for many years.
She explained to Metro: “Food and eroticism have been intertwined for thousands of years. Ancient cultures, including the Greeks and Romans, linked feasting, pleasure, and sexuality in both ritual and social life.
“Indulgence was sensory and communal. Look at the evidence in art: reclining bodies, grapes, wine, honey. While ‘food play’ was never a named historical kink, the pairing of taste, touch, and desire demonstrates that humans have long eroticized what nourishes us.”
Boyer emphasized the role of sensory stimulation in ‘sitophilia’: “Taste, smell, texture, anticipation, gratification – it’s primal. Feeding and being fed can feel intimate, nurturing, even power-infused depending on the dynamic.
“Throw in taboo (food ‘not meant’ for sex), messiness, and sensory overload, and it can heighten vulnerability and presence in the body.”
Research by online supermarket Ocado explored the most popular foods that couples use during sexual activities, with whipped cream emerging as the favorite.
According to the Metro, the top ten list is:
Karin O’Sullivan, a specialist in sexual health, has outlined precautions when introducing food into sexual practices.
She advised in Metro: “Whatever goes inside your vagina must be something that can be taken out intact. Food left behind in the vagina requires an immediate trip to A&E or a sexual health clinic to be removed. It’s a bad idea to put any food, especially sweets, inside your vagina. Your vagina has a natural healthy balance which can be upset by the introduction of foreign objects.”