It is believed that cannabis cooking started with a “bhang,” the heady cannabis-infused beverage in 10th century India. Made by grinding buds and leaves to a green paste, adding milk, ghee (clarified butter), and spices, bhang was traditionally used as a sleep aid and distributed during the spring festival of Holi. Ever since the drink hit the scene, we’ve been looking for new and creative ways to infuse marijuana into our favorite foods.
In the 15th century, Italian scholar Bartolomeo Platina (part of a team of ghostwriters working for Pope Pius II) penned a recipe for edible marijuana (as one does when hanging out at the Vatican). His book “On Honorable Pleasure and Health” introduced the now-popular technique of heating and cooking cannabis in olive oil or coconut oil. While it’s generally considered the first cannabis cookbook, it’s Alice B. Toklas, an American-born member of the Parisian avant-garde of the early 20th century, that stands out as the grandmother of edibles. I guess we can say cannabis cooking has some divine origins?
Known for her buzz-worthy dinner parties, Toklas made her now-famous recipe for hash brownies with Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Wilder, Matisse, Picasso. And her life partner Gertrude Stein. In 1954, Alice published “The Alice B. Toklas Cook Book,” which includes her recipe for “hashish fudge,” a raw granola bar or what we now call “protein bombs”. They are made with black peppercorns, nutmeg, cinnamon, coriander, dates, dried figs, almonds, peanuts, and Sativa cannabis, which is pulverized and combined with a cup of sugar dissolved in a large serving of butter. It seems like a pretty healthy recipe if you ask me.
Now things get a little confusing, and not because of the ingredients. Toklas’ recipe was immortalized in the 1968 film “I Love You, Alice B. Toklas,” starring Peter Sellers. In the movie, a 30-something “square” eats a bunch of pot brownies, falls in love with a hippie, and leaves his fiance at the altar, making most people associate Toklas with the iconic pot brownie forever erroneously.
It’s a bad-ass middle-aged woman who went by the moniker “Brownie Mary” who deserves the credit for popularizing the pot brownie. Born Mary Jane Rathbun, the 54-year old IHOP waitress made a name for herself, peddling marijuana-infused baked goods from her home in San Francisco. A ganja saint of sorts, Mary became well-known for her activism, distributing her products free of charge at hospitals during the height of the AIDS crisis. But it wasn’t until 1996, when medical cannabis was approved in the state of California, that she published “Brownie Mary’s Marijuana Cookbook and Dennis Peron’s Recipe for Social Change” (which, ironically, doesn’t include her recipe for brownies).
Nowadays, you can easily purchase both of these and various other cannabis cookbooks; but for the most part, until now, cannabis recipes, much like the substance itself, remained underground; passed along through friends, purchased at alternative book shops, or found while scouring the pages of “High Times,” the magazine writing about marijuana culture since 1974.
But ever since marijuana laws have changed and marihuana has been legalized in so many states, health-conscious cannabis-infused foods have become a thing. The stigma of ‘space cakes’ and ‘munchies’ is slowly fading, and people are becoming more aware of the therapeutic benefits of cannabinoids. Nutritionally, hemp is an excellent food source containing all essential amino acids making it a complete protein, a perfect balance of omega fatty acids, and rich in essential minerals and fiber.” says Charlotte Kjaer, head chef at UK’s first CBD infused restaurant. More recently, there are some popular television series, streaming channels, and others, that feature a lot of cannabis content, and the industry doesn’t seem like it’s going to stop growing anytime soon, more like keep growing.
The author shall not be liable for any damage or injury alleged to be caused, directly or indirectly, by the information provided here. Neither is responsible for any allergic reaction or adverse reaction to any ingredient (including cannabis). No legal or medical advice is intended with this information, and under no circumstances should any cannabis product be given to children without professional medical guidance.