Local Hemp Foods Cook-Off
Join the Kentucky Hemp Research Foundation at CRAVE LEXINGTON this weekend, August 12th, for their second annual Local Hemp Foods Cook-Off!
Last year the Kentucky Hemp Research Foundation (KHRF) launched their first annual Local Hemp Foods Cook-Off at the 5/3rd Pavilion in Downtown Lexington. The organization worked with local restaurants to cook creative dishes using hemp foods like protein, hearts and oil then hosted a community-wide tasting. The event attracted over 100 attendees who tasted the dishes and learned how to incorporate hemp into their diets.
Expanding Reach
This year the KHRF is expanding their reach to 20,000+ Kentuckians by partnering with CRAVE LEXINGTON, a popular music and food festival in central Kentucky. The Cook-Off will be a feature event during the two-day festival and will take place at the Food Demonstration Booth on August 12th.
The event will feature 8 chefs between 1-5pm who will cook, demonstrate and explain how they have incorporated hemp into their dishes. The attendees will then have the opportunity to taste the dishes. A judging panel will also score the dishes for the top three chefs within the categories of “Best Taste,” “Most Unique” and “Best Kids Menu Item.”
Sourcing Locally
The hemp foods used by the chefs are provided by Victory Hemp Foods, a Kentucky hemp foods processor who sources domestically-grown hemp.
“We are excited for the opportunity to bring hemp foods to a broader audience. Hemp has been stigmatized for the last 80 years, but the Cook-Off helps reduce the stigma by normalizing hemp in the eyes of the public.”
– Joe Hickey, Board Member for the KY Hemp Research Foundation.
The inspiration for the cook-off came about after the KHRF Founder, Annie Rouse, read a book that mentioned how community wariness of caffeine was reduced after the “drug” was popularized in soda fountains. She thought that if partons saw hemp on a menu, it would have a similar effect — it would normalize hemp as a superfood and plant-protein, and not a drug. And the first step to having hemp on menus, was getting chefs excited to cook with it.
Visit CRAVE
If you are in the Lexington area, we highly recommend you stop by CRAVE at the Bluegrass Fairgrounds at Masterson Station Park. The festival is August 12th and 13th starting at 12PM. The Local Hemp Foods Cook-Off is Saturday August 12th from 1-5pm. Beyond the Cook-Off, there are 50+ food vendors, live music, classic car shows, kids activities and local vendors.
Find the Kentucky Hemp Research Foundation booth to learn more about the hemp industry and you will also find the Think Hempy Thoughts booth. We will be there too selling locally produced hemp foods, CBD, and t-shirts!
