Trifter

Cannabis, also known as hemp or marijuana is gaining its popularity around the world – not as the potent drug but as a non-potent ingredient in a variety of alternative dishes. It is also claimed that cannabis is not only a highly nutritious source of food but also full of medicinal properties. Check out these cool restaurants to enjoy the pleasures of delicious cannabis cuisines.

ASA Hemp Restaurant, Japan

In 1998, an entrepreneur by the name of Koichi Maeda opened a cannabis-themed restaurant in Tokyo, known as Asa. “Asa” basically means cannabis in Japanese. The restaurant utilizes hemp-based products like the hemp placemats and hemp board walls for the interior. The restaurant also boasts more than 50 different types of hemp cuisines including its special tofu, made of 100% hemp.Other must-try dishes include hemp seed tameya, hemp chips and cold steamed chicken dressed in hemp oil; these dishes best served with hemp beer.

Laughing Planet Cafe, USA

In the early 1990s, Richard Satnick established the Laughing Planet Café, just a stone throw from the Indiana University, Bloomington. He opened the café to encourage the public especially college students to eat healthily. The café offers dishes containing hemp oil, hemp seeds and also hemp cheese (made from the hemp seed). Among the café’s favourite dishes include the hemp cheese served with burritos, melted hemp cheese with quesadillas and also veggie burgers with hemp cheese.

Runyx, Canada

Runyx, a restaurant operated by Cynthia and Claudio Bortolussi of Toronto, is famous for its house speciality – the Runyx Gourmet Pizza. What’s so special about this gourmet pizza is that its main ingredient is hempola flour, which is made from hemp grain. Customer can choose the toppings of their choice. And also, they are advised to drizzle the pizza with generous amount of hemp oil for an added zing to the pizza flavour. It is said that the hemp oil tastes nutty somewhat like walnuts and is highly nutritious. Patrons must make reservation to visit the restaurant, as there is always a full house.

Mundo Hemp, Peru

The Mundo Hemp Restaurant was founded in 1998 in Peru. It is claimed that Mundo Hemp is the first and only restaurant offering hemp based dishes in South America. Actually, the restaurant was set up along with a store to promote and sell hemp-based product lines such as hemp clothes, hemp bags and hemp houseware. It aims to raise public awareness on the benefits of hemp. Mundo Hemp Restaurant features hemp flour and hemp oil as the main ingredients in its delicious homemade cuisine. After consuming the restaurant’s house speciality, perhaps the patrons can shop for variety of unique hemp-based products at the store.

The Galaxy Global Restaurant, USA

The Galaxy Global Restaurant, which is situated in Manhattan, USA was originally a Greek diner and was later restored by Denis Cicero. Cicero loves the taste of hemp so much that he asked his chef, the famous Deb Stanton to develop hemp-based dishes. It is said that about more than 20% of the dishes offered in this restaurant contains hemp. Among the popular fusion dishes at the Galaxy are hempnut vegetarian burger, salads with hemp oil dressing, soba noodles topped with hemp-enriched tahini, Chang Rai hempnut-crusted catfish and apple pie with hemp crust.

Even though hemp seeds and hemp oil are legal in the USA and other countries mentioned above, public are still sceptical on whether the hemp-based food can actually make them high. It is said that hemp food products contain miniscule amounts of potent drug tetrahydrocannabinol or THC and will not make you high unless they are consumed in very large amounts. Nevertheless, one has to be very careful since some sensitive drug test equipment can show positive result. But come to think of it, a person who has consumed the largely available poppy seed bagels or poppy seed muffins in the local bakeries can also be tested positive for heroin. So, why not give it a try.