Will hemp leaves become a massive ingredient in the salad market?

Hemp leaves have a relatively mild flavor with unique fruity as well as floral aromas and a soft, slightly fluffy texture. Cannabis leaves have been found to differ in texture from other young leafy greens, which, along with their unique flavor profile, makes them an excellent addition to salad mixes that can be effectively used both at home and on an industrial scale to prepare various types of salad mixes at production facilities.

The editors of the specialized electronic edition of Ukrainian cannabis growers have already focused on the fact that the history of mankind goes back centuries to the use of " Leaves and inflorescences of hemp as the basis of tasty and healthy food ." Back in 2017, our publication covered the initiative of an American company that entered the US market with Hemp Leaves as a Food Product . That is why we offer our esteemed reader a study by Cornell University to analyze the possibilities of using young leaves of technical hemp as a product of the niche market for ingredients for salads.

Over the past two years, University specialists have carried out a significant amount of research aimed at studying the production requirements and various kinds of characteristics for cannabis leaves, which can be used commercially as one of the ingredients for making salads at home or on an industrial scale.

Prior to the Cornell University research, there was absolutely no information on taste / texture or consumer attitudes towards hemp leaves as an ingredient in lettuce. In the course of the experiments, the participants in the test groups were asked to compare various indicators of the leaves of hemp, cabbage, spinach, arugula, buttery and lettuce. The subjects described the taste, texture, aftertaste, and appearance of both the ingredients themselves and the salads that were prepared using the above delicious and healthy ingredients. 

Hemp leaves have been found to have a relatively mild flavor with unique fruity as well as floral aromas and a soft, slightly fluffy texture. Cannabis leaves have been found to differ in texture from other young leafy greens, which, along with their unique flavor profile, makes them an excellent addition to salad mixes that can be effectively used both at home and on an industrial scale to prepare various types of salad mixes at production facilities. 

Commentary of experts of the Association "Ukrainian technical hemp"

In the case of using therapeutic hemp leaves as a "salad ingredient", the consumer receives not only a pleasant taste, but also a range of therapeutically active elements that are vital for the human body. In the case of using hemp salads by patients, these dishes help to restore / adjust the endocannabinoid system of the human body effectively work, replacing dozens of expensive pharmacological preparations. It is about these properties of the leaves and inflorescences of therapeutic hemp that will be discussed in detail during the round table " Experience in using the therapeutic elements of technical hemp as raw materials for food, cosmetic preparations, biologically active or feed additives ", held for listeners of the 5th edition " Hemp University ".