Willie Nelson’s guitar, Trigger. Darth Vader’s red lightsaber. Buzz Lightyear’s jetpack. These guys obviously care about their trusty tool. Without it, you could argue they wouldn’t be who they are.
The same goes for stoners who care about the quality of their weed. Prepping flower for a joint, bowl, or anything else into a fine consistency requires a grinder. A bad one might leave you unhappy with the results, but a good one will turn heads. Thankfully, this accessory has evolved for more than a century as the industry continues to innovate.The grinder dates back to 1905 when Australians Williams Wingfield and John Balding came up with an easy way to shred tobacco, weed, and other plant matters, primarily for culinary and medical applications. Prior to this genius invention, herbs were ground between stones, by hand, or with mortar and pestle. These methods actually produce inconsistent pieces and can ruin your delicate herb. Thankfully, a lot has changed since then.Although grinders come in various shapes and models, what’s most important is their ability to perform their primary function: grinding your weed. Metal versions typically carry a higher price tag, but they are widely preferred because of their efficiency and durability. The teeth are sharp, cleaning is easy, and the grinder can last for decades of use. Those seeking more artistic designs can find carved wooden grinders, but maintenance can be a challenge with the buildup of resin over time will stain the grinder and slow down its functionality. Plastic grinders are the most lightweight and affordable, but you get what you pay for. The teeth can become noticeably dull after just a few uses.Then there’s the structure. Grinders can range from simple two-piece situations to large, five-piece grinders with different layers of screens to separate kief from buds, aka a kief catcher. Those tiny trichomes-which look like a beige powdery substance with the naked eye-accumulate with every turn of the grinder. Try sprinkling some on your next bowl or joint for more potency.
As impressive and efficient as contemporary grinding tools have become, they’re not perfect. The jagged teeth inside grinders are a veritable torture chamber for your buds. Conventional grinders violently shred your weed, decimating the trichomes before they have a chance to impart their wisdom on your system.Cue the Flower Mill-a recent innovation that mills flower instead of grinding it. While traditional grinders cut and shred their way through your bud with sharp teeth, milling crumbles (not grinds) your flower where it naturally wants to break apart. Flower Mill allows you to put the whole nug, stem and all, into the milling chamber. It saves you time and results in consistent, fluffy herb. When you load your flower into the chamber, the rotor is designed to put just the right amount of torque on the bud.
It’s less effort than you’d put into using a traditional grinder, which means it’s easier on your hands (ideal for those suffering from arthritis or carpal tunnel). Just twist the top back and forth with slight pressure, and your bud will naturally crumble down through the grind screen at a surprisingly fast rate. No little pieces of bud stuck to the mill screen. No more picking at the bits of bud stuck to the teeth of your old metal grinder.”This is not your dad’s herb grinder,” says John Gleason, co-founder of Flower Mill. “If you’re using a grinder that pulverizes weed, it’s stripping nugs of their trichomes. Your herb deserves better.”
The product has given me fluffy herb with very little cleanup. During my very first use, I was surprised just how quickly the milling worked, and there weren’t any little pieces of bud stuck to the screen. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to pick at buds stuck to the teeth of my old grinder.
With consumers caring more and more about the quality of products, it’s only a matter of time before people look for alternatives to shredding. Once you experience milling, you might never go back.Want more Thrillist? Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat.
Seth Richtsmeier is a freelance content writer and SEO professional with a passion for all things cannabis and digital marketing.
Despite the fact that they were first introduced to the world in 3500 BC, chia seeds became “trendy” around 2012. Wellness blogs everywhere touted the ancient superfood for its innumerable health benefits, and we found a way to sneak them into just about any recipe that could do with a little more fibre. But if you read the back of an average pouch, it was likely the brand had zero connection to the seed’s Aztec and Mayan origins.
Luckily things are changing, and we’re starting to see more and more members of the Latinx community take ownership of the superfoods that have long-fueled their cultures-from chocho and nopales to quinoa, and amaranth. Take, for example, The Pinole Project, a family-run oatmeal brand specializing in the Aztec superfood that is pinole, a ground heirloom corn sourced from Oaxaca, Mexico. The Mexican-American Jacquez family founded The Pinole Project to honour their grandmother, Adela, who would add pinole to many of her dishes-specifically avena, or slow-cooked oatmeal. “Adela had a lot on her plate and looked to high-quality food to help push through her physically and mentally exhausting days raising a family and working on her and my grandfather’s humble ranch in Chihuahua, Mexico,” says Bella Jacquez, head of marketing for The Pinole Project.
Pinole offers sustained, plant-based energy, with high levels of fibre and protein. “It has a low glycemic index and is a complex carbohydrate, so it’s digested slowly, providing slow-burning energy which keeps you full for longer,” Jacquez says. That also means no spike or crash. “Many of our customers comment that they’ll eat a serving before or after an intense workout and will feel full for hours.”
It’s no wonder that pinole is a popular food among the Tarahumara, an indigenous community residing in the Sierra Madre region of Chihuahua. They’re renowned for their long-distance running ability, calling themselves the Rarámuri, which, in their native language, means “light feet” or “runners on foot.”Jacquez’s grandfather, Arsenio, learned the language of the Tarahumana as a young child, and over the course of his 85 years of life, developed lasting bonds with them. “He used to go to the mountains with his father to trade with the Tarahumara, often serving as an interpreter,” Jacquez explains. “My grandparents would welcome Tarahumara into their home to provide shelter when needed, and to share stories. They were able to learn about the culture of running and pinole’s role as a nutritious pre-running meal.”
But beyond the health benefits and reverence to tradition, pinole tastes good. The brand’s oatmeal is a rethinking of your average Quaker Oats, with subtle hints of corn that add a welcome nuttiness.
Most important to the company, however, is its mission to tell the stories of their ancestors. “We believe we’re messengers trying to connect the past, present, and future-inspiring more people to connect with pinole, Mexican history, and food culture,” Jacquez says.
To incorporate more ancestral foods into everyday meals, check out these Latinx superfood brands:
A packet of Pinole Chia Oatmeal includes non-GMO heirloom corn, chia seeds, cinnamon, raw vegan cane sugar, and gluten-free oats, offering gut-friendly prebiotics that can aid in digestion. Each serving has 10 grams of fibre and 8-14 grams of protein depending on flavour. You can enjoy the corn-sugar-cinnamon combo on its own, or opt for the Banana Cinnamon and PB & Cacao flavours. A chuck in the microwave makes for a great, steamy bowl of oats in the morning, but you can also incorporate the mix into baked oats, overnight oats, waffles, pancakes, and muffins. “I find that when I’m craving something sweet, I’ll swap out the flour in cookie recipes with our original flavoured product and bake some delicious protein and fibre pinole cookies,” Jacquez says.
This single-source, plant-based protein powder was founded by fifth-generation Ecuadorian farmer and former professional athlete, Ricky Echanique. It’s made from chocho, a powerful lupin that has been harvested for thousands of years by indigenous farmers. The protein grows in the Andes Mountains and contains plant fibre, vitamin E, magnesium, all nine essential amino acids, and as much calcium per serving as a glass of milk. Plus, it’s naturally regenerative, thriving on rain water alone and pulling nitrogen deep into the soil as it grows, making it more fertile for future crops. There are three varieties available-pure chocho, vanilla, and cacao-which each blend seamlessly into anything from smoothies to veggie burgers.
These crunchy snacks are made from nopales, the fiber-packed cactus pads that are a staple of Mexican cuisine (they’re on the flag, symbolizing the time when the Aztecs founded Mexico City, after seeing an eagle on top of a nopal). Nopales are rich in vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, and other vitamins and minerals. When she moved to Chicago from Mexico City, founder Regina Trillo noticed a scarcity of nutritious, Latinx-owned food brands in the “ethnic aisle.” So she developed the Cheeto-like Nemi Snacks, which feature, in addition to nopal, some other Aztec superfoods, like amaranth, an ancient grain similar to quinoa, and spirulina, a blue-green algae that acts as a powerful antioxidant. The sticks come in four Latin-inspired flavors-Chile Turmeric, Churro, Mexican Lime, and Smoky Chipotle.
Born in Ecuador to a banana farmer and agricultural entrepreneur, Saskia Sorrosa founded Fresh Bellies, a family snack brand designed for preschoolers and their parents. Sorroso believes these snacks-made with the ancient whole grain sorghum-can train palates to crave savory flavors instead of sugars or extra saltiness. Sorghum is gluten-free, low in fat, rich in antioxidants, vitamins, has 22 grams of protein in one cup, and is a great source of fibre. The Groovies line features puffs that get their flavouring from actual vegetables, seasoned with spices inspired by Sorrosa’s heritage that you rarely find in kid food, like sage and garlic.
LiveKuna works directly with farmers in Ecuador to supply superfoods that are distributed worldwide. Friends Carlos Gutiérrez and Santiago Stacey launched with chia seeds, eventually incorporating other locally grown superfoods, like quinoa and amaranth, into cereals, pastas, and snack puffs. “We started this company out of curiosity and frustration knowing that 99% of chia seeds grown in our own country were being exported, and our own people who produced, were not taking advantage of this amazing seed. LiveKuna was then created to promote and bring superfood consumption back to its roots,” Santiago says on the brand’s website.
Husband-and-wife duo Lisa and Ismael Petrozzi founded Llamaland with the intent to celebrate Peru, home of some of the most nutritious superfoods in the world. Their cereals and spreads feature lesser-known superfood ingredients like arracacha, the “white carrot” of the Andes, sacha inchi, known as the “nut of the Incas,” and camu camu, one of the world’s most abundant sources of natural vitamin C. The brand’s best-selling Lucuma Superfruit Spread is made of the ancient superfruit lucuma, or the “gold of the Incas.” You can smear this caramel-like spread on pancakes, or use it to top off ice cream.
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Jessica Sulima is a staff writer on the Food & Drink team at Thrillist. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.