Handsome Design COURTESY: ORCHID ESSENTIALS
California Cannabis cultivars possess a intriguing quality that changes from place to place. In the language of wine this aromatic descriptor is called Terroir. Quite literally, Terroir means, the taste (or smell) of the specific place. It’s very esoteric language, but it shouldn’t be overwhelming to the lay person. The same holds true for cannabis. There is in my opinion, there are striking differences between growing regions in the propagation of cannabis. The flavors differ wildly from place to place! This is especially true when the strains are grown under their own specific California-radiance of the sun. In the absence of the natural sun, there are the terpenes. These are naturally occurring scents that are added to cannabis oils and concentrates. What terpenes are in the language of the nerds, (I’m definitely one of those) are the scents that define different varieties of cannabis. Perhaps you’ll remember that I’ve discussed this topic prior at some length and here is a refresher on the topic. Terpenes are those scented-things that we recognize in cannabis. Sometimes they smell like pine. Other times they are citrus in their overall demeanor. And then there are the cultivars that smell like your neighbor’s male cat has been roaming around. I want to smoke those! There are more terpenes in cannabis than in wine! I’ve learned to detect many hundreds of nuances in cannabis, some of them exciting and intellectually stimulating. The mysterious umami ones are amalgamations of many scents. As a saucier and a mixologist, (sort of like a chef and a bartender, only deeper) I’ve learned to detect scents and further myself into the experience of the flavors and the buzz. There are many strains of cannabis to taste and evaluate. It’s what I do! Hey, I could be studying butterflies!