Do spices help you rise to the occasion?

Quality Spices proprietor Amer Mohsin at his shop in Marikiti, Mombasa County, on March 23. [Kelvin Karani, Standard]

Tucked away along Mombasa’s Mackinnon Market main thoroughfare is ‘Quality Spices,’ a joint for men seeking to add mojo to their intimacy. It is believed that those suffering from erectile dysfunction get their potency restored by products sold in this clinic. Customers sneak in with discomfited dispositions but stroll out with sunny smiles, oozing with machismo, and cannot wait to get home to prove their vitality.

The shop has for the past three decades been assisting its customers to fulfil their marital duties. The proprietor, Mr Amer Mohsin, says the secret formula consists of a dozen herbs that have been ground and mixed together in a formula that has been passed down in three generations.

“Even if I were to give you all the ingredients, there is no way you could possibly define the ratios required to make the mixture potent,” he said.

The shop is basically a retail outlet for spices with many housewives streaming in for their condiments. But occasionally, a man will pop in and since he will likely be on a first-name basis with the storekeeper, they will greet each other heartily after which money and product will exchange hands and he will leave the women to continue sampling exotic herbs.

Mr Mohsin says the business was established by his grandfather. He apprenticed under his father who inherited the business.

He calls his unique product the natural viagra. “All my ingredients are organic, with some sourced locally. But I have to import some which are difficult to find,” Mr Mohsin said.

Among the local ingredients Mr Mohsin said he uses are everyday spices like cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and honey. The rest, all of which add up to 12, are sourced from as far as China and Zanzibar.

Perhaps because of the demand for natural aphrodisiac in general, or Mr Mohsin’s success, other players have invested in the business. The most notable is Mr Martin Kariuki, a former security officer who for the past seven years has seen his natural herb juices and foods business grow from a stall into a hotel.

Most organic

Real Health Juice Parlor on Moi Avenue prides itself in serving the most organic health gruels, juices, foods, and soups.

Even with their menu catering to the general well-being of an all-around healthy body, they have a few recipes strictly for the treatment of male dysfunction. Mr Kariuki, fondly referred to as Dagitari by his customers, shares his formula on social media where he encourages clients to consult freely. Most of his products like ginger, fresh nuts, mukombero and many others are locally sourced, with a few imports like ginseng and nutmeg.

Mr Kariuki, a health enthusiast, says he has developed and perfected a formula that works like magic.

Mr Kariuki says: “The calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron are what a body requires to maintain a healthy sexual responsiveness.”

He adds that the correct nutrition is great for peak performance. “As you can see, it’s not exactly rocket science, just proper organic nutrition, which we serve at Real Health Juice Parlor.” 

The race for the perfect aphrodisiac may have started with the rhinoceros ‘horn’, but was not concluded with the launch of the viagra and quail eggs.

The demand for related products is still high, with the organic revolution changing the game significantly.

Along Mombasa’s Mama Ngina Waterfront, the sale of fried cassava, which is said to be another sexual booster, is popular, along with a hot cup of kahawa tungu, which is said to have medicinal qualities that rival viagra itself. “I have been serving kahawa tungu for many years and none of my customers has complained,” says Mahfouz Haidar.

When you cross the Likoni Channel, supu ya pweza reigns supreme. It is apparently as famous and legendary as oysters. “Those who sample supu ya pweza never go back to whatever other remedy they have been using,” says Mr Bakari Mwamunga, a fishmonger plying his trade on the other side of the channel.

But the question still remains, do the aphrodisiacs work?

Mr Moses Mhando, a patron in one of the popular nightclubs in the city, says: “The potions work, but not equally on all the people. I tried a certain product that made me numb. I didn’t like it.” 

Dangers of using boosters

Dr Abdalla Kassim, a urologist and general surgeon, warns of the dangers of using boosters without first undergoing a medical examination.

“Sexual dysfunction is more often than not just a tip of the iceberg. A doctor should, after subjecting the patient to a series of tests, get to the bottom of the problem. If someone is having problems brought about by diabetes, taking herbs will only compound the problem,” the doctor said.

However, Dr Kassim says organic performance enhancers have been in use for a long time and they may work for some time, but in the end, unless the underlying medical problem is treated, the patient’s health will deteriorate.