Guide to Pairing Cannabis Strains with Food
Email this pageWhen it comes to two things in this world that makes people happy, food and cannabis will always be at the top of the list. When people are presented with the idea of pairing cannabis with food, the usual dish that comes to mind is marijuana brownies or cookies since these ingredients work exceptionally well together. However, certain strains pair well with different types of food much in the same fashion as wine and cheese. Here are a few tips to help you pair a few strains with food to make mouthwatering dishes and mix-and-match pairings that will take your cooking to the next level.
Understanding Cannabis Terpenes
All cannabis strains have naturally occurring compounds called terpenes that give them their unique flavors and aromas. Terpenes can be found in varying concentrations with 2 to 4% total terpene content being considered as high. Strains with high terpene concentrations often have a sweet, citrusy, or spicy aroma.
When you use a specific strain, the terpenes that are present control the flavor you experience. For example, a strain with myrcene makes your taste buds come alive with tropical flavors while a strain with pinine will have a woody taste. Understanding how terpenes influence the flavor and aroma of different strains will help you maximize the experience when pairing them with food.
Use Your Nose
Use your own gut instinct and follow the scent of your nose when determining which strains to pair with food. If you live near a dispensary, ask a budtender to let you smell a variety of different strains. You can even go a step further and have a predetermined list of strains that you know have a high terpene content and ask to smell these strains for food pairings specifically.
There are also different guides, charts, and infographics you can find online which are all helpful in giving you an idea of what flavors you will get from various terpenes. This information is more useful to those who do not have access to a nearby dispensary. Still, the best way to get a full handle on strain flavors is to give each of them a whiff.
Pay Attention to the Names
There is a countless number of strains out there and so many colorful names to remember. Although a lot of the strain names do not tell you or indicate what they will taste like, many of them also have very descriptive names. Strains like Mandarin Haze or Agent Orange will go great in a recipe like Mandarin Orange Chicken Delight or Orange Teriyaki Chicken. If you see a strain and the name sounds tasty, by all means, give it a try and see if it is something that will inspire your next food dish.
Try Orange Teriyaki Chicken with Mandarin Haze.
Try Out a Few Pairings
Mamacitas Cookies. As the name suggests, this is a strain you want to probably pair with some cookies whether it is chocolate chip or one of your favorite cookie recipes.
Taste Mamacita's Cookies with actual cookies.
Mandarin Haze. As mentioned before, the citrusy terpene content in this strain makes it perfect for salads, chicken dishes, pies, cakes, and so much more. The possibilities are endless with this strain and its powerful citrusy, mandarin flavor.
Manradin Haze is ideal for salads, chicken mean, pies,pro saláty, kuřecí maso, pies, cakes, and so much more.
White Widow. This classic strain adds a fascinating depth of flavor to food in pairs beautifully with the flavors of almond, vanilla, and butter to make a variety of food ingredients such as buttercream, cake icing, filling, and frosting.
Vanilla cupacakes. White Widow goes well with almonds, vanilla and butter.
Know the THC Content
The worst thing you want to do is find a great strain pair up with your food and serve it at an inappropriate time. If you serve Mamacitas Cookies during the day with a whopping 25% THC content, everyone who eats them will definitely feel a strong effect. Make sure whether or not you intend to serve cannabis-infused food that will get everyone super stoned.
Focus on sativa strains for foods that you may want to pair with cannabis and serve during the daytime. The reason is that sativa strains tend to be more uplifting and allow for more daytime activity. Foods paired with Indica strain should be served during the evening since these strains have a more full-body effect and tend to enhance relaxation.
Recommendations
Citrusy strains – Pair with fruit, fish, or greens
Menthol or Piney strains – Excellent for curing meat or fish
Combine Menthol or Piney strains with fish
You Cannot Mess Up
The good news is that cannabis always makes eating food more fun. Don’t worry so much about messing up when pairing cannabis and food; just give it a try. Your next food creation or recipe could become just as famous as pot brownies or cannacookies.
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