CUISINE

CUISINE cuisine

High Hospitality is the Culture We Deserve

By far, the most common way to introduce an American to a new culture is through food. Sharing food forms an instant connection, a long-standing way to bridge the divide between strangers. Coming together around a table to enjoy a meal initiates people into the etiquette, rituals and customs of different cultures, forming the basis of much human socialization in societies around the globe.

HOW HAS CANNABIS INFLUENCED FOOD CULTURE?

Whether you’re eating THC or smoking it alongside meals, it’s important to know that for most of human history, Cannabis was food. There were no arbitrary laws separating it from any other useful plant, and its effects were wellknown among ancient cultures.

Simmered with milk and spices, Cannabis infuses bhang lassi, an Indian beverage that dates back to 2000 B.C.E. Mixed with melted butter, sugar, spices, ground nuts and dates, Cannabis imbues mahjoun with potent psychedelic effects, and this recipe for the first-ever edible originated in the Middle East in the 11th century.

These days, you might find people hot-boxing their car in restaurant parking lots, firing up their appetites before they eat.

According to research conducted by Giovanni Marsicano of the University of Bordeaux, it’s been scientifically proven that “THC – the primary psychoactive ingredient in marijuana – fits into special receptors in the brain’s olfactory bulb, allowing users to smell and taste food far more acutely while high.”

Cannabis is one of the few plants on Earth proven to enhance appetite, which has medical applications for patients suffering from AIDS wasting syndrome, anorexia, or the side effects of chemotherapy. For the rest of us, weed elevates even a humble meal into a taste sensation. Eating while high can help you notice more nuance in the taste and textures, conferring a newfound appreciation for even the simplest things, like sourdough toast slathered with butter.

HOW HAS FOOD CULTURE IMPACTED CANNABIS?

Chefs have long had an affinity for weed, as discussed by Anthony Bourdain in the 2010 New York Times article “Marijuana Fuels a New Kitchen Culture,” with the memorable quote “Everybody smokes dope after work … People you would never imagine.” uating various wines, “cannaphiles” rave about

Outspoken Cannabis aficionados like Eddie bud structure, trichome coverage, terpene profiles Huang bridged the gap, bringing an appreciation and cannabinoid percentages, devising systems for for how being high led to creative ideas for new pairing specific Cannabis cultivars with food and dishes at his acclaimed NYC bun shop Baohaus. wine. When I interviewed Huang for High Times in 2013, Someday, in a post-COVID world when the hoshe said, “I do discover a lot of flavor combinations pitality industry revives, we’ll see the full flowering when I’m high that I normally wouldn’t.” of the Cannabis culinary movement: a full-service,

Nothing epitomized this paradigm shift more infused fine dining experience. than the VICE series “Bong Appétit,” Previously only available through which transformed Cannabis cookery methods from a mindset of scarcity to abundance, revolutionizing how Cannabis is one of the few plants on Earth underground supper clubs, the full integration of Cannabis into a regulated dining experience will be an evolving Cannabis is perceived as an ingredient. Introducing chefs to the plant and teaching them how to integrate it into proven to enhance appetite, which has process, as evidenced by the OG Can nabis Cafe project in LA. A fully-realized Cannabis restausignature dishes, “Bong Appétit,” let the medical applications rant scene is the ultimate goal that all world know that those inspired stoners were going way beyond brownies. Today, as the Cannabis culinary for patients suffering from AIDS wasting weed-loving chefs continue to work towards – where you can indulge in a joint on an outdoor patio before being movement evolves, we see a level of syndrome, anorexia, seated, or pair vapes with each course connoisseurship comparable to wine. Just as oenophiles have developed a lexicon of their own devoted to evalor the side effects of chemotherapy. before finishing off the meal with a Cannabis-infused dessert. It’s a future worth looking forward to.