When cannabis was made illegal in India in 1985, it robbed farmers of economic security  the crop assured and gave hemp a bad name. Its many propagators say it’s a misunderstood plant. In its contemporary avatar, hemp seed oil, hemp hearts and hemp seed powder can be found in dishes like salads, burgers, pizzas, pasta, smoothies, sandwiches, and even dessert. Hemp seeds are the hulled, non-viable seeds of the cannabis sativa plant; and that of  other indigenous varieties of cannabis. 

When entrepreneur siblings Shalini and Jayanti Bhattacharya were growing up, they’d spend a lot of time in the hills connecting with nature. They learnt about medicinal properties of many  herbs and plants, including hemp. “It is both, nutritious and great for the environment,” says Shalini, who now lives in Barcelona, as does her brother. “It is proven to be effective against deforestation, and  absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Every part of the plant can be used for multiple purposes—for food for humans and animals, medicine, fibre to make clothing, paper and bedding, fuel, as well as construction material such as hempcrete. It’s also a biodegradable alternative to plastic.” Which explains why entrepreneurs are venturing to create nature-friendly hemp sanitary towels. Unfortunately, good deeds apart, cannabis sativa continues to live in notoriety garnered by it’s more rock-and-roll sapling, marijuana. 

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Hemp Sandwich

The difference between hemp and marijuana, says Jayanti, is important to note. Hemp too comes from cannabis sativa, but  differs in THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) content. THC is the psychoactive compound that gives the user a high. Cannabis plants with less than 0.3% THC are classified as hemp, and those with more than 0.3% THC as marijuana. “Industrial hemp, the cultivation of which is regulated in India, contains CBD [Cannabidiol, a chemical found in the Cannabis sativa plant] and negligible traces of THC. Hemp is the sober, responsible cousin; marijuana has all the fun.” 

The Hemp Factory co-founders Dhawal Panchal and Kajal Lahane at the Andheri West cloud kitchen. Pic/Anurag Ahire

India has a strong yet complicated connection with cannabis. It is one of the five sacred plants mentioned in the Vedas, and was classified as a synthetic drug and banned as recently as 40 years ago, primarily due to pressure from the US. “Various states in the US are currently revisiting and declassifying it as a drug,” Jayanti explains. The siblings use visual story-telling and science-backed research to address concerns about the plant and create awareness about its properties. 

The sisters started India Hemp & Co in 2019 and retail hemp hearts (shelled hemp seeds), hemp protein, hemp trail mix and cold pressed hemp seed oil. They also launched a pet line in 2021, which includes hemp treats that are high in protein, and hemp seed oil, great  supplement for joint health.

Greenr co-founder Nikhil Dixit and community manager Niharika Jain love working with hemp. Pic/Shadab Khan

The Hemp Factory, which claims to be India’s first cloud kitchen serving hemp-infused foods, serves pizza, burger, and brownies with the green stuff. We tried all of these, and were particularly impressed with the festive special, ukdiche modak. Its co-founder and CEO Dhaval Panchal’s connection to hemp is personal. In 2014, when his father was diagnosed with cancer, Dhaval’s research led him to cannabis’ medicinal avatar. He dug deeper and volunteered with the Great Legalisation Movement, an NGO working to legalising hemp and cannabis in India. In 2017, he joined Bombay Hemp Company (BOHECO), and that’s where the idea to start a hemp-related food business struck him. In April 2022, he launched the cloud kitchen in partnership with BOHECO. 

Panchal tells us there there has been a surge in demand for hemp products after the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India’s (FSSAI) November 2021 notification (see box). “We thought hemp food had the potential to become a new trend, so we began innovating with the in-house chef,” says Panchal. “It took us six months to come up with a menu that Indians would like.”

Hemp Pizza

He also  recommends replacing unhealthy maida in bakery items with hemp flour; using hemp hearts to bring a nutty flavour to milk, in gravies and sweets, and using hemp seed oil for dressings and in sauces. “Every dish on our menu—burgers, pizzas, pasta, salads, sandwiches, brownies and smoothies—has a different percentage of hemp; on an average, it is 30 per cent,” says Panchal, who plans to expand the kitchen through company-owned or franchise outlets, across the country. 

When mid-day reached out to nutritionist Dr Geeta Dharmatti to discuss hemp seeds, and she was all praise for the taste, texture and anti-inflammatory properties of this protein that enjoys enough micronutrient support too. 

“It is a good source of essential fatty acids, particularly gama linolenic acids; is rich in fibre and a good source of minerals like calcium and phosphorus,” she says. “A teaspoon of hemp seeds with water or in your salad at the beginning of a meal will help portion control.However, increased consumption can lead to GI distress, bloating or diarrhoea. Avoid taking it along with cardiac drugs or diuretics and consult your general practitioner before starting on hemp. If you are allergic to cannabis, hemp seeds can cause a sore throat, and  skin irritation. Also, with no proven research, experts generally advise avoiding it during pregnancy and lactation.” 

Greenr café in Bandra has been sourcing hemp from Uttarakhand since 2016 from the familes of staff who hail from the region, taking. tips from them on more indegenious ways of working with the ingredient. “Being a health-forward café, we have been looking at plant-based high protein ingredients,” says Nitin Dixit, the co-founder. “Assured of its source, we knew it was safe for use. However, chefs need to master the art of working around its astringent taste. For instance, we use it in our psychedelic smoothies to add protein but the taste must be balanced. The Manali super hemproot pizza we serve has beetroot, whose sweet [taste] counters hemp’s astringent aftertaste.” 

Chef Rahul Sharma of Araku coffee agrees that hemp is a superfood rich in Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. That it is tied to our heritage and culture makes it a clear top runner in the ingredients list. But because it is fibrous, and has a sour aftertaste, it’s a challenge to use.

“It releases oil when it hits high temperatures and gets rancid if left out in the open,” he says. “But we just love a good challenge, and have tried and tested the ingredient to come up with hemp nankhatai. We also do a hemp-and-chocolate mousse, and are also working on the recipe for a hemp-and-coffee pie, hemp taco, and some drinks with hemp oil. There is also a dessert in the making where we are ageing coffee with toasted hemp.”

Manali choco balls

Ingredients
35 gm oats
175 gm almond powder
25 gm hemp hearts
1 gm vanilla pod
60 gm coconut oil
175 gm organic brown sugar
30 gm Callebaut dark chocolate powder 
1 gm sea salt
Cranberries and sesame seeds for garnishing 

Method
Roast the oats and hemp hearts well. Grind them together with organic brown sugar.
Add this mixture to a bowl of almond powder, chocolate powder, sea salt, vanilla and coconut oil in a bowl. Roll up into energy balls with a cranberry heart at the centre and top them with unbleached sesame seeds.

Psychedelic purple smoothie bowl

Ingredients
30 gm raspberries
30 gm strawberries
10 gm hemp protein
2 frozen bananas
100 ml almond milk
10 gm almond butter
10 gm organic jaggery
60 ml fresh beetroot juice
1 fig
1 tbsp homemade granola

Method 
Blend beetroot juice, frozen bananas, raspberries, strawberries, almond milk, hemp protein, almond butter, dried fig and organic jaggery powder together until smooth. Pour into a glass.  Top it with your favourite fruits and homemade granola.

Fusilli pesto pasta

Ingredients
100 gm hemp fusilli
10ml olive oil
100 gm pesto
2 gm pepper
2 gm Italian seasoning
5 gm parmesan cheese
30 gm cherry tomato
3 gm hemp seeds
20 gm olives 

Method 
Boil pasta for three minutes and keep aside. Heat oil in a pan, add garlic and sauté for two minutes. Add cherry tomato and olives and sauté some more. Pour the pasta water into the pan and add pesto. Once you get the desired consistency, add pasta and basil, and transfer to a bowl. Garnish with hemp seeds and parmesan.

FSSAI’s boost to hemp foods

Hemp-based products have been available in India for a while, but the market was unregulated until 2021. The November 15, 2021 notification by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) allowed for hemp seed, oil, and flour to be sold as food ingredients. The notification requires the cultivation of cannabis to comply with the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS). The NDPS Act excludes cannabis seeds and leaves from the definition of cannabis.

Hemp gin

Satiwa, a homegrown hemp craft Indian gin, uses organic hemp seeds as its key botanical. Founded by Goan entrepreneur Sahil Adwalpalkar, it hopes to reduce the stigma around hemp. “Hemp is a magical botanical that has been ignored for decades due to common misconceptions of it being a drug. When you use the non-hallucinogenic part of the cannabis plant, and use it alongside other botanicals such as juniper, orange peel, cardamom, cinnamon, rose petals, and lemongrass, it produces a distinct nutty note. The divine aroma beautifully complements its earthy flavour,” says Adwalpalkar.