What is bhang? Easy recipe to make bhang

Curious about bhang? What is bhang - and will it get you high?

This article will answer all of your questions about this ancient cannabis-infused drink. We answer, "what is bhang?", “what is bhang made of?”, and "does bhang get you high?" 

Plus, we’ll show you how to make bhang with an easy-to-follow recipe.

What is bhang?

Bhang is a cannabis preparation used in India, which is made from the leaves and non-flower parts of the cannabis plant. As the flowers contain the majority of the resin and cannabinoids, bhang is traditionally a low-potency preparation.

Bhang can be either smoked, or more commonly, drunk as a yogurt-based drink. Bhang as a cannabis-infused drink has been consumed in India since 1000 B.C. for religious, spiritual, medical, and Ayurvedic purposes. 

What is bhang made of?

Bhang is a paste made from the leaves and seeds of the cannabis plant. The paste is used to create various cannabis edible preparations, including sweet candies, savory treats, and infused beverages such as the well-known bhang lassi.

What is a bhang lassi?

A bhang lassi is a cold beverage made from bhang paste, water, yogurt, and spices. Sometimes, bhang lassis are flavored with fresh fruit such as mango.

Bhang lassis are consumed during the spring festivals of Holi, known as the festival of colors, and Maha Shivaratri, a celebration honoring Shiva.

Cannabis is illegal in India, but bhang is legal in many parts of the country. This is due to the long cultural traditional behind bhang, as well as the fact that bhang is only made from the fresh leaves and seeds of the cannabis plant, not the flower.

Bhang is widely used in Northern India and can be purchased from bhang shops and street vendors. Other common bhang preparations include:

• Bhang, which is a beverage made of bhang paste and water
• Bhang gola, a chewy, taffy-like, peppery tablet made from bhang paste
• Bhang goli, a beverage of made of bhang paste, curds, and whey

How to pronounce bhang?

The traditional pronunciation of bhang in Hindi sounds like "bong." In English, the pronunciation is "b-ang."

Does bhang get you high?

Before you try bhang, you should probably know the answer to, "does bhang get you high?"

The answer is pretty straightforward. Yes, bhang gets you high. But the high is typically mild, because bhang is made from the leaves and seeds of the cannabis plant, not the flower.

The high from consuming bhang is less intense than the high from smoking cannabis because you are consuming less THC, and it takes a while for this low dose of THC to be absorbed into your bloodstream. The effects of bhang typically peak two to three hours after consumption, just like any orally ingested cannabis product. (Want to know how different ingestion methods change your cannabis experience?)

If you're looking for a powerful high, bhang might not be the best choice for you. However, if you're looking for a mellow experience to relax or meditate, bhang could be perfect.

Let's move on to how to make bhang at home.

How to make bhang: ingredients and materials

Are you ready to learn how to make bhang? Here is what you need to gather before making this cannabis-infused beverage.

Materials:

• 2 Saucepans
• Chopping knife
• Cutting board
• Glass measuring cup
• Measuring spoons
• Mortar and pestle
• Muslin cheesecloth
• Wisk

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup honey or sugar
• 3 cups of warm milk of your choosing (dairy or non-dairy)
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 ounce of fresh cannabis leaves and seeds
• Spices, 1/4 tsp garam masala, 1/4 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp ground fennel, 1/2 tsp ground anise, 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp rosewater
• Garnish, edible rose petals, mint leaves, nuts such as almonds or pistachios

How to make bhang: step-by-step recipe

1. Add 2 cups of water to your saucepan and bring to a rapid boil. Remove the saucepan with boiling water and add 1/2 ounce of fresh cannabis leaves and seeds. Allow cannabis to steep for at least seven minutes.
2. While your cannabis is steeping, warm your milk. Add your milk to the other saucepan and heat. Make sure to continuously stir your milk with your wisk or it will stick and burn. You want the milk warm, not boiling.
3. Use the muslin cloth to strain the cannabis from the steeping water. Squeeze the cannabis in the muslin cloth to remove as much water as possible. DO NOT dump the water out. Set the steeped water aside.
4. Add 2 teaspoons of warm milk to your mortar and pestle and add the cannabis leaves and seeds. Firmly grind the cannabis. As you grind, the milk will begin to absorb the plant matter and color. Every so often pick up and squeeze the cannabis plant matter so that all of the milk is extracted.
5. Dump the milk from the mortar and pestle into your glass measuring cup. Repeat Step 4 until you have 1 teaspoon of cannabis-infused milk in the measuring cup.
6. Chop the rose petals, mint leaves, almonds, pistachios. Once chopped, add them to the mortar and pestle and grind with remaining warm milk. Grind together until a fine paste forms. Remove fibrous materials that does not grind into the paste.
7. Combine the cannabis water and warm milk in one saucepan. Add 1/2 cup of honey or sugar and mix until dissolved.
8. Mix in garnish paste, 1/4 tsp garam masala, 1/4 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp ground fennel, 1/2 tsp ground anise, 1/2 tsp ground cardamom, and 1/2 tsp rosewater.
9. Chill for two to three hours. Then serve.

There you have it: a simple and delicious recipe to make bhang. If you’re inspired and want to get creative, use your bhang paste in other recipes to make bhang smoothies, curries, soups, and more. 

Final thoughts on bhang

Bhang is a cannabis-infused beverage that has been enjoyed in India for centuries. Bhang is fairly easy to make and is made from fresh cannabis leaves and seeds. The high from consuming bhang is not as intense as the high from smoking cannabis.

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