It’s not uncommon to bring some dessert-themed edible items into the bedroom, and we’re not talking about edible panties. From “50 Shades of Grey” characters licking ice cream off each other and that famous apple pie scene in “American Pie,” we’ve lived in a splosh-curious society for years – we just don’t talk about it.
Getting messy with food in the bedroom isn’t a new idea, however, turning your significant other into a human sundae is just the tip of the iceberg. Food play, otherwise known as sploshing, can be an incredible way to experience intimacy. But what is sploshing, exactly? Let’s dig in.
What is Sploshing?
Belonging to the umbrella of the “wet and messy” (or WAM) fetish, sploshing involves the usage of food items for the purpose of arousal or during sex. In simple terms, it means incorporating food into your sex life in some way.
Food is smeared, placed, or dumped onto the skin, and while licking whipped cream or chocolate off your partner might be a more tame exploration of WAM, bathing in a tub full of whipped cream, using your partner’s body as a plate, or smearing pudding on each other takes it to the next level.
“There are many reasons why someone might be aroused by sploshing,” Zachary Zane, author of “Boyslut: A Memoir and Manifesto” and sex expert for Fun Factory, tells PS. “It might be due to the texture or smell of the food/drink. There is also something highly erotic about simply eating food when done so sensually because it involves things going in and out of the mouth. There’s also something playful about it. As kids, we’re told not to play with our food, but as adults, that’s exactly what we’re doing. We’re playing with our food in a sexual context.”
Sploshing can encompass a range of activities during kinky play; some people get turned on by specific food, while others get aroused from seeing their partner covered in something or smushing food with parts of their body.
Food play (and cake-sitting specifically) is a fetish that’s surprisingly popular on Pornhub and OnlyFans, proving that the urge to splosh is very real.
This freeing kink can be less intimidating than other fetishes and is great for those who enjoy a playful atmosphere. It takes away the pressure of an orgasm as the end goal for sex, turning it into a more entertaining and nuanced adventure that’s all about the journey, not the destination.
Why Is Sploshing Sexy? Here’s What Science Says
As it turns out, playing with your food has multiple benefits in adulthood, when that desire to explore and experience the world through heightened sensory experiences can manifest as an interest in erotic food play.
Board-certified sexologist and kink specialist Tiffany “K.” Chan, EdD, MA says, “There are theories in the psychological and scientific communities that feel it’s a kink that has developed through a feeling of joy a person held in formative years for playing with messy substances, also known as ‘messy play theory.'”
Dr. Chan adds, “Other theories suggest it’s associated with the desire to simply do something ‘naughty.’ We place a high value on orderly living and cleanliness, while sploshing provides an outlet to be messy and create a source of liberation.”
How to Safely Explore Sploshing
Want to watch your partner deep-throat a banana and get messy with it? Douse each other in milk? Watch your partner squish cake into their cleavage? All that counts as sploshing. Some people enjoy being covered in food or drink, while others prefer to sit on food or spill liquid over specific body parts. You can also introduce food play by watching your partner dress up in sexy outfits and eat or spill food items on themselves.
Before playtime, make a list of allergies and food sensitivities, along with another list of ingredients you’d like to splosh with, and share it with your partner. Be sure to talk about boundaries beforehand so that communication on likes and dislikes is clear. And while a sexy food fight with a partner sounds kind of amazing, you can explore getting wet and messy in solo play if you prefer.
Safety and hygiene are also important factors. While cake-sitting has a large audience online, keeping sugar near your vulva can lead to pH changes and infections, so be sure to thoroughly shower immediately after or have a barrier in place, such as Lorals, if food goes near or in the vagina.
Tara Suwinyattichaiporn, PhD, also known as Dr. Tara, a sexpert and tenured professor of sexual communication, suggests, “For newbies, try bathing coconut oil on your partner then sensually eat it off of them. Coconut oil is naturally antibacterial so it’s a great food item to start with. Honey is another product with good taste and antibacterial properties. ”
It’s not recommended to experiment with this kink on the bed without some sort of protective layer – you can ruin a mattress quickly. It might be easier to do sploshing in a baby pool, inflated pool, large bathtub or shower, or even put down a tarp with blankets on top. There are even plenty of effective waterproof sex blankets and pads you can buy online from brands like Liberator that are designed specifically for activities like this.
Some people enjoy experimenting with sensation and temperature play, using foods and drinks of different temperatures to figure out what they find pleasurable. If your sex life is pretty vanilla, and you want to start out with just licking whipped cream off your partner, that’s totally fine! There’s no judgment in sploshing. You may want to browse the “sploshing” or “food play” hashtags on social media if you’re looking for inspiration. There’s no limit to exploring your carnal cravings through food. In fact, it might just be the ultimate recipe for jazzing up your sex life.
Naima Karp is a sexual wellness and lifestyle writer with more than a decade of experience. She prides herself on writing empowering articles that promote inclusivity and awareness for readers, presented through a unique lens. In addition to PS, Naima has written freelance content for digital publications like Spy, Well+Good, and Variety.
