Long gone are the days of pot brownies — well, they are still a classic but the art form behind them has evolved. No more hippie convention in your parent’s basement, trying to suss out how to blend the punch of weed with the kick of good chocolate, without the product tasting all burned and nasty. Today, hemp - or one of its main ingredients CBD - is a top culinary ingredient. Everyone is trying it out. From your grandma, all the way to Michelin Star chefs. And there’s a reason for that. Aside from the many health benefits of CBD that can be integrated into a tasty confection, the compound itself is rather tasty - if treated properly. In other words, it can be used to highlight your meal like any other spice. In this article, we’re going to give you a few tips on how to start your CBD Chef journey and slice and dice some of the reasons why everyone is jumping on the cannabidiol-fueled bandwagon.
History of CBD in a Nutshell
Cannabidiol, more commonly known as CBD, is a chemical compound in the cannabis plant. It has been used for medicinal purposes and research for many years. It is one of the earliest forms of medicine and was only recently outlawed for a time being at the start of the 20th century. Before that cannabidiol was as common as Pepsi and could be bought at any pharmacy — but so were cocaine and morphine. Unlike the other two, as of 2022, most countries have revisited their stance on weed, particularly its derivative CBD. They’ve legalized it or at the very least started to turn a blind eye to its personal use.
Cooking with CBD Oil: Essential Tips to Cook with Cannabis
The latest trend of cooking with CBD oil has been growing in popularity over the past few years. The use of CBD oil in cooking is becoming more common because it can provide a host of health benefits to those who take it.
These benefits include but are not limited to:
- reducing inflammation.
- treating pain.
- fighting anxiety.
- improving mood.
- promoting sleep quality.
- serving as a neuroprotective.
- having anti-inflammatory qualities.
Cooking with CBD oil can also help you lose weight by lowering your appetite and boosting your metabolism.
There are many different ways that you can cook with CBD, but the main and most common - not to mention the easiest is through cannabidiol or CBD oil.
What is CBD Oil?
CBD oil is derived from the cannabis plant and is mainly used for medicinal purposes. The cannabis plant produces two derivatives - THC and CBD. The former is a defense mechanism, basically a toxin/poison the plant secretes when it is in trouble. THC is what wallops you and gives you a “bad high.” Meanwhile, CBD is not only not addictive but is where all the “good” qualities and features of marijuana can be found.
CBD oil has been used as medicine for centuries. It can be taken orally, but many people prefer to use it topically, which means that they apply it to their skin as a way of using it medicinally. CBD oil is also an ingredient in foods such as salad dressings or baked goods like brownies or cookies.
What are the Benefits of Cooking with CBD?
Many benefits come with cooking with CBD. From the therapeutic effects to the smell, CBD can be a great addition to your cooking.
With the legalization of cannabis in more and more states, regions, and countries people are starting to use it for cooking purposes more and more. Not only can cooking with CBD be a healing experience, but it also includes a couple of extra fringe benefits that add a bit of magic to your meals.
Here are a few of the most common culinary benefits that come with cooking with CBD:
- Simplicity: cooking with CBD is an easy process because of its simplicity. All you need is CBD oil.
- No smell: when using CBD for cooking purposes, there will be no odor left behind since it does not have any strong or overpowering smells like other herbs and spices — which can lead to discomfort in the kitchen.
- The flavor: flavor is milder than other herbs and spices because CBD has a low-threshold taste. This means that it doesn’t have a strong or overpowering taste like salt, pepper, garlic, and parsley for instance.
While CBD is best known for its medicinal properties, it has several culinary applications as well. These include improving the taste of food, increasing the nutritional value of food, and even reducing the risk of developing cancer cells in your body.
What are the Best Ways to Cook with CBD?
CBD is an organic compound that is extracted from hemp plants. It has been used to treat many health conditions including anxiety, chronic pain, and epilepsy. CBD has also been found to be an effective treatment for depression.
There are various ways to consume CBD — let’s limit ourselves to this entry to what you can cook up with it in your kitchen.
Let’s look at some tips you’ll need to take to heart:
- Invest in quality CBD products. Buy from premium vendors that know what they are doing - in other words, leave your dealer out of the equation. Why is that? Well, only a real connoisseur of the cannabis plants with the right tool and the right processes, can properly distill CBD from hemp. Budget CBD or cheap CBD might be tainted with pollutants, they might be watered down, or they might not have been accurately distilled — this means they have a rather hearty dose of THC in the chemical makeup.
- Never place CBD oil directly over heat. Heat will change the composition of CBD and even lower its effectiveness.
- Mix CBD with other ingredients such as flour, and other types of oils - olive or coconut - to make it even more effective. CBD is a fat-soluble concussion — this means that your body will be able to absorb it better along with other healthy fats.
- If you’re going to go all Tom Cruise in Cocktail with your CBD, and maybe give your Old Fashioned a dose of Mary Jane, then forget about driving. CBD and alcohol pack a punch.
- Start small - say 5 to 10 milligrams - and take it from there. Don’t jump right in, like any spice it’s better to take it easy otherwise it will overpower your meal and possibly your senses.
- Keep your CBD in a dark, dry, cool place — there’s a reason most CBD bottles come in amber or blue. Exposure to light can lead to a loss of its properties.
- You can keep CBD without losing any of its spark for up to 2 years as long as you safeguard it in the right conditions and an air-tight bottle.
Explore Different Uses for Your CBD Recipes
CBD oil is a product that has been gaining traction in the market. It is made from cannabis plants, and it does not contain THC, which is the psychoactive compound that makes people high. With this substance being legal in many states, there are more and more people who are looking for different ways to use CBD oil.
Some people may be looking for a way to use CBD oil as an alternative to painkillers or other treatments for chronic pain. Others may want to use it as a treatment for anxiety or stress-related disorders. Some may want to use CBD oil as a way of dealing with insomnia or other sleep disorders.