FORKLORE : Seeds and Stems

Hemp is a plant known for two products. One is the fibers of its long stems, which are made into rope, canvas and so on (the Declaration of Independence was written on hemp paper and Betsy Ross’ American flag was made from hemp fabric). The other famous hemp product is marijuana, made from a variety of hemp specially bred for its psychoactive leaves.

The association with marijuana is why in our country rope is usually made from fibers such as jute or sisal instead of hemp. By the way, the Scottish adjective hempy , meaning “mischievous,” has nothing to do with marijuana--it’s a playful reference to the hangman’s rope, at the end of which a hempy youth will supposedly end up.

Hemp seeds, which are not psychoactive, are high in omega-3 linolenic acid and omega-6 linolenic acid, and can be used for food. Sharon’s Finest, a health food company in Santa Rosa, Calif. adds hemp seeds to some of its soy-based preparations, such as a tofu “cheese” called HempRella and a tempeh-like Hempeh Burger. The Baltic countries make many hempseed dishes, such as the Estonian porridge kanepipuder and the Latvian hempseed “milk” kaneppiens . In Lithuania, ground toasted hemp seeds are sprinkled on boiled potatoes as a seasoning.

However, in this country, the main consumers of hemp seed as a food live in cages. Hemp seeds are sometimes included in birdseed.