Hemp – An amazing plant with a shady reputation

OK…You saw the title to this article…and you didn’t get any farther than the word HEMP. Understandable. There’s a lot of bad asssosiations with the word. The biggest is Marijuanna. Ok. It can’t be denied that Hemp, or a similar plant strain, is also used as a drug. I can’t write this and not touch on that fact. Cannabis occupies fourth place in worldwide popularity among the mind-affecting drugs - preceded only by caffeine, nicotine and alcohol. As in the cases of caffeine, nicotine and alcohol, attempt have been made to suppress the trade in cannabis and to eradicate its use. Emir Soudom Sheikhouni of Joneima in Arabia is said to have ordered in 1378 that all cannabis plants in his territory be destroyed and that anyone caught eating cannabis have their teeth pulled out. But 15 years after the Emir's decree the use of cannabis had increased.

Most cultures viewed hemp as a gift, or treasure, from the Divine Sprit, to be used during ceremonials, at which time it was either burned as incense, ingested for deep meditative and heighten awareness, smoked for pleasure, or worn for clothing during these ceremonies. Hemp has been mentioned in many important documents over its recorded history, The Zend-Avesta, a sacred book used by the peoples of India dating back to 600 BC, spoke of hemp’s intoxicating resin. The Chinese emperor and herbalist, Chen-Nung wrote about hemp’s medicinal uses 5000 years ago, his pharmacoepia recorded its effects on malaria, female disorders, and many other illnesses, hemp was referred to as, Ma-fen “hemp fruit”, said; “if taken in excess, will produce hallucinations”. The Anatomy of Melancholy, published in 1621 recommended hemp for depression. The New English Dispensatory, of 1764 suggested applying hemp roots to the skin for inflammation.No successful effort to suppress cannabis has ever existed and in 1969 the UN estimated that there were between 200,000,000 and 250,000,000 cannabis users in the world. However, there is more to Hemp than just the drug facts.

The industrial facts of Hemp may just surprise you. Just as there are tiny house cats and huge African lions in the feline world, corn for cattle and sweet corn for people, and sweet and salty popcorn, there are different kinds of cannabis. Certain varieties produce compounds that act as medicinal or psychoactive substances, whereas others produce mainly fiber, wood and seeds which hardly contain these active substances. It is the non-psychoactive cannabis species that are grown as a source of fiber, wood and seed. After processing, these parts of the cannabis plant are used in a number of industrial products.

Hemp is another word for the plant Cannabis sativa L. Ok, yes - Marijuana comes from this same plant genus – but so do broccoli and cauliflower. Surprised? Also, the strains of hemp used in industrial and consumer products contain only a negligible level of the intoxicating substance delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. Thus, industrial grade hemp is not marijuana.

Hemp was the first plant known to have been domestically cultivated. The oldest relic of human history is hemp fabric dated to 8,000 BC from ancient Mesopotamia, an area in present-day Turkey. It has been grown as long as recorded history for food, fuel, fiber, and for another legitimate use.

In every society where people discovered Cannabis hemp, they often discovered the five uses for hemp which include; hempen fibers, oil from the seeds, the seeds for food, a medicine, and for its narcotic properties. Because hemp is such a hardy plant, it can grow easily and abundantly almost anywhere, and can provide nutrition where other edible crops just won't grow. Hemp can even be cultivated in arid regions with poor soil like Saharan Africa or in places with a very short growing season like Scandinavia. It is one of the oldest crops used for cultivation. It was cultivated in China as early as 4000 BC.

The date on which cannabis was introduced to Europe is unknown; but it must have been very early. An urn containing cannabis leaves and seeds, unearthed near Berlin, is believed to date from 500 BC. Henry VIII required the cultivation of one quarter acre of hemp for every sixty acres of land under tillage, for maritime purposes in England. From at least the 5^th Century BC until the late 19^th Century ship sails and riggings were made from hemp. Hemp is still used on some ships because of its resistance to mildew and weathering and because it remains pliable in extreme conditions where plastic based ropes become brittle and crack.

The British began cultivating hemp in its Canadian colonies in 1606, cultivation began for Virginia in 1611. The Pilgrims introduced cultivation to New England as early as 1632, they learned about the cultivation of hemp from the Native Americans people.

Cloth made from hemp was common in central and southern Europe in the 13 century and remained popular with succeeding generations. Fine Italian linen was made from hemp as well as flax and in many cases the two were mixed in the same material.

A western physician by the name of W.B. O’Shaughnessey published in 1839 of the benefits of cannabis for the treatment of rabies, rheumatism, epilepsy, and tetanus. He also reported that a tincture of hemp and alcohol taken orally was found an effective analgesic.

In Africa hemp was used for dysentery, and fevers. Today some tribes use hemp to treat snake bites, and women smoke it before childbirth. During the seventeenth century peasants believed in the magical power of hemp, and practiced their traditions. On Saint John’s Eve, farmers would pick flowers from their hemp plants and feed them to their livestock to protect the animals from evil and sickness.

Did you know you can eat Hemp? No, no. Not to get a buzz. Focus, people, focus! Hemp seeds are drug-free and extremely nutritious. They can be eaten whole, pressed into edible oil like soybeans, or ground into flour for baking. They are one of the best sources of vegetable protein. They contain a full complement of essential amino acids, essential fatty-acids (EFA'S), and have been shown to lower blood cholesterol and dissolve plaque in coronary arteries.

Hemp is not only good for the inside of your body, but for the outside as well. Hemp seed oil is perfectly suited for hair and skin care. Its nutritional value, combined with its moisturizing and replenishing EFA's, make it one of the best vegetable body care foundations. It gets a little technical here, but stay with me! Hemp seed oil's EFA complement includes polyunsaturated fatty acids, omega-3, omega-6, omega-9, linoleic acid, and gamma linoleic acids (GLA's). Although they are very effective in skin care maintenance, GLA's are rarely found in natural oils. Hemp is an excellent source of GLA's.

Scientists are even working on a way to make Hemp into a ‘green fuel’. Hemp seeds have provided a combustible fuel oil throughout human history. Since gasoline engines are a primary source of carbon monoxide and greenhouse gases, alternative fuels such as ethanol could contribute significantly to the rejuvenation of our atmospheric air quality. Hemp provides a sustainable, renewable, and natural alternative to toxic fossil fuels.

Hemp paper is naturally acid-free. The oldest printed paper in existence is a 100 percent hemp Chinese text dated to 770 AD. Thomas Jefferson drafted both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution on hemp paper. Hemp's cellulose level is almost three times that of wood, so it makes superior paper and yields four times as much pulp per acre as trees. The hemp paper process also utilizes less energy and fewer chemicals than tree paper processing and doesn't create the harmful dioxins, chloroform, or any of the other 2,000 chlorinated organic compounds that have been identified as byproducts of the wood paper process. Hemp is a sustainable, annual crop that is ready for harvest just 120 days after going to seed, compared to trees which take tens or hundreds of years to reach maturity. Plus, harvesting hemp doesn't destroy the natural habitats of thousands of distinct animal and plant species.

Now what do you think when you see the word Hemp? It’s a rather useful plant, right? The world is now in a time where the scramble is on to reverse global warming and making living more ‘green’? What better way to wage that war with a wonderful, durable green plant? Next time you go shopping and see materials offered that are made from Hemp, stop and check it out!

Port – much more than an old wine

It’s a bit mysterious. You may have heard of it, but never experienced it. You hear people talk about it using descriptions such as “It has succulent berry flavors of moderate extraction converge with ripe stone fruit nuances supported by direct, firm tannins in a fresh, balanced texture.." Ok….WHAT?!? What the heck are they talking about? They are talking about port.

What is port? Port is a wine. To be more specific, it’s considered a dessert wine. It’s been described as ‘one of the greatest dessert wines in the world’. That’s saying something. But what exactly is it? Port, or port wine is a fortified wine that comes exclusively from the Douro Valley in the northern province of Portugal. It is typically a sweet, red wine, often served as a dessert wine, and comes in dry, semi-dry, and white varieties. Only wines from this region can truly be called port. Other regions in the world make fortified wines in the style of port, but it cannot be called port.

Port takes its name from the city of Oporto that is situated at the mouth of the 560-mile long Rio Douro or River of Gold. Although many port-style wines are made around the world – most notably Australia, South Africa and the United States – the strict usage of the terms Port or Porto refer only to wines produced in Portugal. The Port vineyard zone of the Douro River Valley, was officially demarcated by the Portuguese in the 18th Century. It covers just over 1,000 square miles, with less than 15% of that area being planted in vines. Doesn’t seem like a whole lot of grapes to make a whole lot of wine, does it? In fact, the Red Grape varieties used in making port actually have to be authorized by the Portuguese wine institute, the Instituto do Vinho do Porto (IVP).

The history of Port begins in the 17th-century, in the Douro Valley. Many people claim that it is the land that time forgot – but in oh-such-a-good way! Douro Valley is not a place to find the latest wine making techniques and fancy equipment. Instead, the Douro Valley supports a wine industry that still functions today the way it was over a hundred years ago. The Portuguese of course, had been making wine for hundreds of years since the Romans introduced wine to the Iberian Peninsula in the first century B.C. And they were making quite a bit of it. By the beginning of the 17th-century, they were shipping as many as 1,200,000 cases of wine down the Douro River to Oporto each year. Saúde! From there it was sold throughout Portugal, to the Dutch, and to the British. Port is created in a unique way that captures the fruit and flavor of the ripe grapes in wines that possess astonishing durability. During fermentation, prior to reaching the point where all of the natural grape sugars have been converted into alcohol, high-proof brandy is added to the vats to stop the fermentation. This leaves a wine with great depth of color and a high natural sweetness. After fermentation is complete, the wines are transported to "lodges" where they rest in large oak casks called "pipes."

Nine types of port are certified by the IVP for production. The quality and complexity of the wine vary according to the time it spends aging and the grapes used to make it. Many port manufacturers pride themselves on using wine-making processes that are the same today as they were nearly 400 years ago. Indeed, some vintage port is still made using grapes crushed by foot. Here’s a quick an easy guide to ports.

Ruby port. Ruby is considered the most basic and least expensive type of port. It's blended from the produce of several harvests and aged for two to three years in stainless steel or wood before being bottled. Ruby ports are meant to be drunk immediately, and their taste is considered a warming blend of sweet and spicy. Always choose a premium ruby, as lesser quality rubies can be quite harsh.

Tawny port. Tawny is aged in a wood cask for a longer period -- between three and 40 years. The best tawny ports take their pale amber or tawny color from longer aging in wood. Since some tawnies can be a mix of red and white port, look for the wine's age, which should be displayed on the bottle. True tawny, also called "aged tawny," comes in 10-, 20-, 30-, and 40-year-old versions, the best of which -- for the money -- is the 20-year version. Tawny is a good starter port for the novice. Its dry, nutty flavor carries raisin overtones and is considered quite accessible.

Colheita. A Colheita is a tawny from a single vintage that is aged at least seven years in wood before bottling. It is the rarest of ports, amounting to less than 0.5% of all port production. The wine label should indicate the year of bottling and the wine should be drunk within a year of that date. A Colheita has a faded color and a nutty flavor with a lingering rich dried fruit finish.

White port. White ports are comparatively new to the market. First introduced by Taylor's in 1934, the wine is made from white grapes and comes in both a sweet and a dry style. White port is produced in the same manner as red port, with the drier styles aged in casks for up to 10 years. White port is typically consumed chilled as an aperitif, but its distinctive taste isn't considered to have a universal appeal.

Crusted port. So named because of the deposit of sediment at the bottom of the bottle, a crusted port is not filtered before being bottled. The wine was invented for the British palette as an alternative to a vintage or late-bottled vintage port. It's a full-bodied wine available at an economical price, but it must be decanted before serving.

Vintage character port. These are also called Super or Premium Ruby ports. The wine is aged four to six years before being filtered and bottled. A vintage character port has more body and fruit than a tawny, but lacks the complexity of a true vintage port.

Single-quinta (estate) port. A single-quinta port is made in both the tawny and vintage styles; it simply means that the wine comes from a single vineyard. These wines are generally produced in years that are not declared. "Declared" is a port-maker's term for years of grape production that are considered to be exceptional and during which vintage ports are produced.

Late-bottled vintage (LBV) port. An LBV is a port made from a single vineyard, but typically one that is not good enough to make a true vintage port. The wine is left to age in wood for four to six years before being filtered and bottled. LBVs are ready to drink sooner than full vintages and do have some sediment in the bottle.

Vintage port. Vintage port is considered the king of ports. It is the finest and most expensive style of port, accounting for about 4% to 5% of all port production. Vintners often stake their reputations on the quality of their vintage. A vintage port comes from a single harvest of exceptional quality; winemakers will declare their grapes in a particular year if they feel the production is good enough. The first vintages were declared in 1734 and vintage production years are considered to occur once or twice a decade, with the exception of the 1990s, which saw four years (1991, 1992, 1994, and 1997) declared. The wine itself is bottled after two or three years of cask aging and is then allowed to age in the bottle for between five and 50 years.

So the next time you find yourself wanting to tickle your tongue with something new, venture into the world of ports. This wonderfully surprising aged and fortified wine offers such a variety that there is something to please everyone. So raise a toast with a glass of port to your health. Or as they say in Portugal: Para sua saúde!