Besides using the female hemp plant as an intoxicant and medicine, hemp is also made into flour and oil, drunk as a tea, woven into textiles, braided into ropes, used for thermal insulation and as an industrial lubricant, processed into paper, cosmetics and cleaning agents and is used as bio-fuel.
Cultivation
Cultivation takes place predominantly in China and India. But Europe is catching up.
1. Hemp flour
Taste: Slightly nutty, rich in vegetable protein and fiber.
Production: Hemp flour is gained by carefully grinding the seeds; therefore it has been particularly well broken down and the ingredients are very quickly absorbed by the body. Hemp flour is the by-product obtained during the production of hemp oil.
Use: In granola cereal, added to desserts, for baking and cooking; to refine sauces, combined with honey
and butter as a spread, as a protein supplement for athletes.
Consumption information: Gluten-free, recommended daily amount max. 0.5 oz. per day. When freshly ground, it will keep for three months in refrigerated storage.
2. Hemp oil
Production: Cold pressed from hemp seeds in an oil mill; never heated over 104 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
Taste: Slightly nutty, lemony green color.
Use: Not suitable for cooking; for making salads, for enhancing the flavor of ready-to-eat vegetable dishes. It enhances their taste without becoming too dominant and gives a nice shimmer. Add to smoothies, especially in combination with avocado, banana or green vegetables.
Storage: Store in a cool place after opening.
CBD oil, hemp flowers, hemp seeds and hemp tea / Image: Canoa Germany
3. Hemp seeds
Taste: Similar aroma to sunflower seeds, but with a consistency more like cashew nuts.
Use: Can be used as decoration, in smoothies, on top of yogurt or cereal, in cookies or in granola bars, for salads or dips.
4. Hemp powder
Production: Shouldn’t be confused with hemp flour, even if it is processed in a similar way to the flour. Hemp protein powder is produced from the “cake” left over after hemp oil extraction. This residue is ground again at very low temperatures to break down the fiber and concentrate the protein.
Taste: Nutty.
Use: Added to smoothies.
5. Essential hemp oil
(Cannabis flower essential oil)
Production: Distillation process extracted from leaves and flowers of Cannabis sativa.
Use: In aromatherapy, for fragrance lamps, in spas or massage oils.
6. Hemp milk
Production: From hemp seeds, can be made at home from peeled or unpeeled hemp seeds.
Prepare with peeled hemp seeds (more creamy, more filling than filtered hemp milk): one tablespoon of peeled hemp seeds per 0.3 ounces of water, sweetener (rice syrup, coconut syrup, maple syrup) and fine-grained salt, mix in a blender to a creamy liquid. Can be kept chilled for up to three days.
Prepare with unpeeled hemp seeds: 7 oz. unpeeled hemp seeds, 1 quart water, sweetener (rice syrup, coconut flower syrup, maple syrup). Mix hemp seeds and water for three minutes, then add sweetener and mix for one minute. Filter out fluid with a cheesecloth. The remaining hemp puree can be made into a pesto.
Use: As a 1: 1 milk substitute, since milk does not need to carry out specific functions such as eggs, which the hemp version could not do. Therefore, ideal for shakes, smoothies, ice cream. Be careful when boiling it up, as it easily flocculates.
Note: Free from lactose, milk protein, soya, cholesterol and gluten.
7. Aprons made out of hemp
Advantage: For raw materials made of hemp, no allergic reactions have been noted up to now.
