Weed Pairing: Marijuana Meets Fine Dining

Cannabis-infused edibles are evolving past brownies and candy

Gourmet chefs are finding strains of marijuana to compliment their dishes. In fact, a hundred people gathered in the Colorado foothills to experience “weed pairing.” On Oct. 2nd. Guests smoked pot, ate four courses, drank, and listened to live music at Planet Bluegrass, an outdoor venue in Lyons, Colorado.

Getting High Before Dining

A medicated aperitif. Photo: Liz Clayman

All diners received small glass pipes and lighters. Or, if they preferred, there were professional rollers next to the bartenders. So, you could order a joint and a beer at the same time. And for guests who didn’t want to smoke would eventually get to eat cannabis-infused chocolates with salted caramel over ice cream.

A citrus scented marijuana strain accompanied guests appetizers. The strain was paired with a fall salad that had apples, dates, and bacon. There was a sweeter strain to smoke with the main course of “slow-roasted pork shoulder in a mole sauce with charred root vegetables and rice.”

Much like farm-to-table restaurants, diners were provided with the history and details of their marijuana strains.

“We talk with the grower to understand what traits they saw in the marijuana… whether it’s earthy notes, citrus notes, herbal notes, things that we could play off,” said Corey Buck, head of catering for Blackbelly Restaurant, a top-rated farm-to-table restaurant responsible for the meal.

Some people think marijuana just smells like skunk. However, growers like Perry of Headquarters Cannabis knows “it’s like wine or anything else. There’s more flavor profile there.”

Cannabis-infused Fine Dining

The salad’s citrus vinaigrette is medicated with three milligrams of canna-oil. Photo: Liz Clayman

Cannabis has found it’s way into fine dining in the past as well. We reported on a chef that built his meals around the strain he used in his cannabutter.

“The strain is the star, and I want to make it shine in the dishes I create,” Chef Trinidad said.

The chef, who specializes in Filipino cuisine, paired weed and fine dining in New York, where possession of over 25 grams is illegal. As a result, his secret dinners are invite only for a few guests, to avoid attracting any unwanted attention.

“Each dinner is different. You will find both Pinoy and Latino flavor profiles throughout most of our marijuana dinners.”

He learned to make cannabis the focus point of the meal from his training in Filipino cuisine.

“Working with Filipino ingredients has given me an appreciation for attention to singular ingredients,” Trinidad explains.

Final Hit

Bringing marijuana to fine dining helps to destigmatize the plant. So far, marijuana has been heavily associated with junk food. Chefs and pot growers are coming together to create a world of cannabis cuisine. Their hope is that marijuana will be treated the same way wine is when it comes to fine dining.