Pairing Cannabis with Food
In the countries where marijuana has been legal for a long time, it is possible to appreciate the similarities between the use of its fruits and wine, in fact in the United States there are already seals of origin from some counties, such as Humboldt in California. In this article we will tell you everything about the trend of pairing marijuana with food.
Cannabis has organoleptic properties that vary depending on the strain we’re talking about, these properties can best be combined with different kinds of food. The following article will give you the key advices to combine cannabis with food in the best possible way, so the experience will be tastier and more enjoyable, combining the different flavours at their best.
Pairing Marijuana with Food: Basic Principles
No doubt, one of the marijuana features that users like the most, in a culinary sense, is its ability to pair with foods and drinks in very diverse and interesting ways. Just as a white or rosé wine is the perfect match for a good grilled fish, the extraordinary citrus aromatic properties of the Tangie strain, for example, complement a piece of sashimi soaked in ponzu sauce in a delicious way.
Today’s modern cannabis products, such as isolated terpenes, can add an exotic and pleasurable touch to a meal, creating a rich culinary experience as the terpenes and flavonoids present in Cannabis enter the palate.
One of the most widely used ways of introducing some of the flavours provided by marijuana is through infusion methods. Using low heat to pass the cannabis flavour to penetrate inside of the food impregnating it with flavour. However, if the aim is to keep the psychoactive effects, decarboxylation will be required first.
However, marijuana can also be successfully combined with food using other techniques which do not require decarboxylation, such as the use of smoked or steamed marijuana, specifically when using highly aromatic strains, those that have a very high terpene concentration.
Furthermore, it is also possible to pair marijuana with food, emphasizing the psychoactive effects. For example, alcohol always has fairly homogeneous effects, which only vary according to the amount of alcohol consumed. However, a good cannabis sommelier can play with energizing or relaxing strains to give different sensations throughout a meal.
When planning a dinner party pairing cannabis and food, it is important to keep in mind the flavours that stand out most and try to play with them. Often, the most intense element is not the main protein or hydrate, but rather a sauce or herbal component.
It is also important to think about the cannabis flavours that can produce contrast with the taste of the food or complement it. Thus, it is not always a matter of choosing something that tastes similar or goes with the dish in a conventional sense. Pairing marijuana with unusual food can surprise guests and make them appreciate both the food and the cannabis more than when consuming separately.
The Best cannabis Flavours for pairing with Food
To help you understand the ways in which marijuana is best paired with food, the following are some of the most common flavours present in cannabis and some examples about the food that best match with. But remember, one of the better ways to pairing marijuana with food is to experiment.
Complex Flavour Pairing
One of the main functions of terpenes is to scare cannabis predators from eating or otherwise damaging plants. To do this, certain strains sometimes release an odour that can be described as complex or unconventional. These varieties are highly appreciated for their unique and unparalleled taste.
Over the last decade, complex flavour cannabis enthusiasts have struggled to control the powerful, penetrating smell of these varieties, which passes through everything in front of it except a good smell filter. The complex flavours can be similar to paraffin, glue, kerosene or cheese.
Initially, to the uninitiated marijuana enthusiast, some of them they may appear to be very extreme flavours for pairing with food. Pairing marijuana with food from a complex-flavoured marijuana strain can be difficult, but don’t be afraid these aromas tend to work best with dishes such as smoked meats and herbal sauces, an excellent example is the Argentinean chimichurri sauce. And they also go suspiciously well with coffee.
Some of the more notorious complex and pungent cannabis varieties are the Gorilla strains, or OG Kush and Sour Diesel.
Citrus flavour Pairing
There are many marijuana varieties that have a citrus flavour in their terpenic profile. In fact, there are some strains that exhales such a strong and dense citrus aroma that it is sometimes complicated to distinguish them from a real citrus fruit, as the similarity is enormous.
The presence of limonene terpene is the reason why a strain smells like citrus. However, whether the Cannabis variety has sweet or sour notes will always depend on the specific proportion of limonene and the combination of other terpenes.
Citrus flavored strains tend to be mentally uplifting and physically invigorating like limonene itself, which makes sense because it’s more common to find citrus flavours in strains that have traditionally been grouped together within the archaic Sativa subgenus.
To marry marijuana with food more effectively with citrus-scented cannabis strains, it’s best to think about how to use citrus in the kitchen. It’s usually best to help brighten up a dish or add a lasting aftertaste that stays on the palate. Some foods that stand out in this pairing are those with chicken or white fish.
Some varieties that show a citrus dominant aroma are Super Lemon Haze, Lemon 18 or Liberty Haze.
Earthy Flavour Pairing
Like some of the world’s most complex and appreciated wines, cannabis has a lot of rich, moist and earthy flavours present. Leather, smoke, coffee, soil, peat and vegetation are some terms used to describe such aromatic varieties. Many of them belong to the Indica sub-genus.
These varieties are often relaxing or sleep-inducing, perhaps due in part to the presence of terpenes such as myrcene and betacariofilene, which are believed to have anxiety relieving properties. Therefore, using earthy-flavoured strains could be a great way to end a relaxing dinner.
Some rich, earthy varieties include Bubba Kush, Sweet Afgani delicious and Hindu Kush.
Floral Flavour Pairing
The cannabis bud is, after all, a flower, so many varieties are expected to simply smell like it. While certain strains can have very powerful and long-lasting effects, other strains dance lightly in the head, calming and soothing, blending in with the person’s mood rather than taking over.
A very common terpene in flower flavored varieties is linalool, which is also the most common terpene, found in lavender and many other botanicals such as laurel, coriander and sweet basil. These strains can vary from very mild and pleasant aromas to others that are slightly more complex and herbal.
The floral aromas are excellent for use in dishes such as subtly flavoured baked goods and for perfuming sauces. These varieties also are the perfect match for salads or lightly cooked vegetables.
Examples of floral cannabis strains are Lavender and Purple Urkle.
Herbal Flavour Pairing
One of the most present flavours in marijuana plants is the herbal aroma. Although it is admitted that this covers a wide variety of smells, the aromas of herbal strains are similar to those found in other herbs such as rosemary, sage and eucalyptus, and also in trees such as pines.
The most common terpenes in herbal varieties tend to be alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, beta-caryophyllene, humulene and terpinolene, whose combination can cover the spectrum from the spicy citrus spice of a Jack Herer to the floral sweetness of a Blackberry Kush.
Common herb flavored varieties include Chocolate Mint OG, Durban Poison and Wreckage.
Sweet and fruity flavours pairing
The first time you notice the smell of a herb that is really sweet, form most it changes the perspective of the Cannabis organoleptic properties. As the smell most casual users associate with marijuana is often citrus or herbal, many are surprised to find aromas reminiscent of biscuits, candy or tropical fruits.
Sweet varieties often span a flavour spectrum from the almost creamy, neutral, sugary side to the acidic, tropical fruit side, offering many options when it comes to pairing. Although it is tempting to match sweet with sweet, it is often more interesting to use the sweet varieties as a way to cut something acidic or to enhance something herbal.
If a strain has the distinctive qualities of a specific fruit, sometimes the taste will be perceived clearly enough to replace the actual fruit in a recipe.
Common strains that fit into this category include Tropicanna Banana, Blueberry and Watermelon Zkittlez.
This has been all about pairing marijuana with food, did you know that marijuana effects can be enhanced with food?
