The March Special: Hemp Focaccia

As of November 2018, a law change in New Zealand allowed the sale of hemp food products, such as seeds and powder. The Hemp Focaccia is Wild Wheat’s tasty foray into a healthy, nutritious seed that has had, hitherto, a dubious reputation.  We’re making it good with March’s Bread of the Month.

The low down on hemp seeds and hemp powder:

The use of hemp in the kitchen is on the increase as it turns out that hemp contains many valuable nutritional properties.  High in magnesium, iron, protein and omega 3s, hemp can be particularly interesting for vegans and those following plant-based diets.  Just three tablespoons of hemp provide all our recommended daily intake of magnesium and per 100g, hemp seed contains more protein and iron than steak, more omega 3 than tuna and more dietary fibre than oats!  And edible hemp contains less than .3 percent of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the psychoactive component of marijuana.

So all in all, edible hemp is good for you.  Who would have guessed?  And by all accounts, use of hemp in foods is on the rise since the law change, as this Viva article explains.

Why we like Focaccia so much:

 A light, fluffy loaf, focaccia is an ideal bready host for the creamy, nutty flavour of hemp.  We have sprinkled the top with some rock salt but it’s the softness of the bread, along with the olive oil, that makes this loaf a treat.  And although it’s already April, we’ll keep making it for another few weeks.