With the legalization of recreational marijuana now present in Colorado, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska, chefs are adding a new flavor to fine dining experiences. Pot infused dishes are now much more advanced and sophisticated than simple pot brownies that coincided with the stereotype of "stoner food". Now, weed is appealing to whole new audience: the foodies. Which in turn translates to a whole new "upper shelf" of people with higher societal, social, and economical status then pot's former target audience. This information does not reflect my views on the value of individuals based on if they do/do not smoke, but facts are facts.
Skilled chefs love to try new things and use new ingredients, it's part of what makes restaurants popular. I understand that. But most of the time, cooking with heat removes the more potent aspects of an ingredient. For example, when cooking with wine, vodka, or other spirits, the alcohol is removed by the heat leaving just the flavor. With these pot specialties, the potency is not reduced. In fact, chefs boil it down to a cannabis oil to make the drug stronger in the dish. The ironic thing is that marijuana does not taste good. Called "the Martha Stewart of weed baking," Karin Lazarus herself admitted that her dishes taste better before adding the marijuana. The only sensible reason for why weed is being used in high end cuisine is simple: it's wow factor. This is the hot and new fad. It pushes the envelope and redefines fine dining. People are always looking to just barely push past what is "right" and go toward the more appealing "wrong" choice.
We are inherently always looking to push the borders. As humans, that is our nature.
Of course the restaurant industry is embracing this form of human rebellion. Since introducing weed to the menu, restaurants have already seen a significant lucrative profit. And it is estimated that by 2020, the marijuana industry will be worth over 10 billion dollars- 40% of which is due to the popularity of edible cannabis. Ken Albala, the director of the food studies program at the University of the Pacific (a Christian college) said, "It really won't be long until it becomes part of haute cuisine and part of respectable culinary culture, instead of just an illegal doobie in the backyard." Whether that encompasses his personal belief or not is not my judgment, but regardless I believe he very accurately described what our culture's view on this drug is becoming. If this is what is going on right now, what's next? What will be the next "hot and new" fad that really just does more harm for our society than good?
Skilled chefs love to try new things and use new ingredients, it's part of what makes restaurants popular. I understand that. But most of the time, cooking with heat removes the more potent aspects of an ingredient. For example, when cooking with wine, vodka, or other spirits, the alcohol is removed by the heat leaving just the flavor. With these pot specialties, the potency is not reduced. In fact, chefs boil it down to a cannabis oil to make the drug stronger in the dish. The ironic thing is that marijuana does not taste good. Called "the Martha Stewart of weed baking," Karin Lazarus herself admitted that her dishes taste better before adding the marijuana. The only sensible reason for why weed is being used in high end cuisine is simple: it's wow factor. This is the hot and new fad. It pushes the envelope and redefines fine dining. People are always looking to just barely push past what is "right" and go toward the more appealing "wrong" choice.
We are inherently always looking to push the borders. As humans, that is our nature.
Of course the restaurant industry is embracing this form of human rebellion. Since introducing weed to the menu, restaurants have already seen a significant lucrative profit. And it is estimated that by 2020, the marijuana industry will be worth over 10 billion dollars- 40% of which is due to the popularity of edible cannabis. Ken Albala, the director of the food studies program at the University of the Pacific (a Christian college) said, "It really won't be long until it becomes part of haute cuisine and part of respectable culinary culture, instead of just an illegal doobie in the backyard." Whether that encompasses his personal belief or not is not my judgment, but regardless I believe he very accurately described what our culture's view on this drug is becoming. If this is what is going on right now, what's next? What will be the next "hot and new" fad that really just does more harm for our society than good?
Great opening comparing today's pot cooking with the stereotypical pot brownies of years past. Excellent analogy to cooking with wine. You did a good job putting into focus the main point about how far will this epidemic go, how corrupt can it possibly get and of course the real question is it morally right or wrong. What does absolute say about this.
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