Munchies?

Marijuana is a highly-criticized matter, whether it’s about the legality or recreational use, society has something depictive to say about it. Since, its legal status has changed within most states, Viceland decided to infuse both the art of food with the science of cannabis.This series Bong Appetit is hosted by Abdullah Saeed, who ventures out into the city to find restaurants willing to cook a cannabis-infused dinner. He’s also accompanied by Ry Prichard (the weed expert), and Vanessa Lavorato (chef and cannabis-user), essentially creating a perfect team to create weed-infused delicacies. Bong Appetit is breaking a social barrier by having a series that creatively incorporates the art of food, and the trend of weed by making it more common within the public.

Host Abdullah Saeed, starts off the show by introducing the renowned chefs who will then create a cannabis-infused dinner for the show’s guests. Each episode is generally twenty-three minutes, and can be easily found on streaming services, such as Viceland, Hulu, Amazon Prime etc. Viceland, the creators of the show, supply the chefs with a weed-filled pantry that includes an array oils, seasonings, salts, and butters as well as endless strains of actual cannabis. Typically, by the end of the dinner party, the guests are laughing with red-chinky eyes, while the chefs sit back and enjoy their carefully crafted work.

Food and entertainment shows are highly respected in the industry, and Bong Appetit steered away from the traditional rules and decided to incorporate weed into their cuisine, making them unique. In season two, you can expect a variety of dishes prepared, as well as multiple new avenues explored within the culinary and cannabis world. In the third episode, Abdullah introduces both Spank and News, creators of an Instagram delivery food service due to their creative and unique culinary style. Spank and News are both from Compton and built their own brand through a social media app, coming to show the versatility and inclusiveness of chefs in the series. As the episode goes on, Spank and News visit the pantry and begin testing some of the products out before heavily infusing the cannabis products into the dinner. Before handing off the food, Vanessa and Ry break down the infusions used in the food, therefore keeping full transparency with its guests so they enjoy their overall experience. The food industry as well as the cannabis industry is rapidly changing, and in turn this show aims to shed a new light when both are incorporated.

Following the trend of a vegan lifestyle, in the sixth episode Abdullah invites over Afro-vegan chef Bryant Terry. As a new culinary challenge that’s never been done before, Bryant took on the task of creating an exquisite cannabis-infused vegan meal. While preparing some of the black eyed peas, that’ll ultimately be used in a fritter, Terry mentions the historical ties to the dish; “black eyed peas are a staple wherever African people have traveled”. Throughout the show, the chefs briefly discuss the origin of their cooking styles providing that feel of authenticity while tying in the modern twist of edibles.

“I’m not a weed smoker, but I’m surrounded by them”- Kevin Bludso

Another interesting remark from this show was the commitment to having a meal deeply infused with a cannabis product in one form or another. In the second episode, Abdullah invites over Kevin Bludso, owner/chef of Bludso’s BBQ House in LA. Bludso made it clear, “I’m not a weed smoker, but I’m surrounded by them”, making it that more interesting to see a chef cook with cannabis products, even though Bludso doesn’t use them. Ry Prichard, also provides his assistance by providing exact measurements of oils/powders, or by constantly questioning the chef when they can add more weed to have an ultimate dinner.

While Bong Appetit is making new strides, it’s no different when it’s essentially compared to other culinary shows, however the incorporation and presence of weed in this show provides a new and fresh outlook. As it steers away from the mainstream culinary shows, Bong Appetit makes it easy for any viewer, regardless of he/she’s interests’, to indulge in their show as you watch these mouth watering plates being created, with a twist of cannabis. Viceland, and Abdullah respectively have a series, that can ultimately change the way we consume food in the near future, by creating different avenues of food experimentation.