Hemp, a plant with 1000 virtues

We are in the middle of the hemp harvest period. A product that is experiencing a new life in the kitchen, after having led several others, and for a long time.

In Brittany, hemp has been cultivated since sailors went to sea, because the fiber of this plant was used to make boat ropes. We also know that hemp has long been used for fabrics, cosmetics and insulation materials. Its illicit use is known for its hallucinogenic effects.

It now comes into full light in your kitchens, through its seeds, flour or oil. Hemp is even very popular with certain chefs, like Romain Le Cordroch in Vannes: “We can have it in flour, crunchy with its roasted seeds, soft with the shelled seeds, in vegetable oil which has a very herbaceous taste, also in milk. It’s very good for your health, it’s nutritious and it tastes very good.” The Bvañ restaurant is located a stone’s throw from the Vannes market, where Romain Le Cordroch sources his hemp.

And if this product is very good for your health, rich in omega 3 and 6, fiber, vitamins B and E or magnesium, it is also very good for the planet since it has many cultural benefits.

Régis Durand, from the Trevero farm in Sérent (Morbihan), confirms this: “This very hardy plant does not require any intervention during cultivation, it fights weeds on its own, it does not suffer from pests, and it tolerates heat very well, with little need for water. In addition, its root system structures the soil, and improves its quality for the crops that can subsequently be grown in the same field.”

After almost disappearing in the 20th centurye century, hemp, a plant with 1000 virtues, is once again cultivated in several French regions.