From an early age, cannabis chef Wendy Zeng saw the inherent connections between food, community, and wellness. When it comes to cannabis, Zeng looks at the plant as not only medicine, but an herb and flavor that can be part of cooking and overall holistic health.
Following her win on Discovery+ cannabis cooking show Chopped 420 in 2021, Zeng is embarking on her next big project: launching her farm-to-table cannabis concept in Northeast Los Angeles.
“I really want to make this a staple in L.A.,” Zeng said. “I really want it to be more community driven, not just a brand and sponsors and all that. We have a lot of that in this space, and certainly those things help. I really want this to not be just about revenue generating, because it’s not the right focus; it’s about value creation and community at the heart of it.”
The space is slated to open later this year and pays homage to the heritage and culture Zeng grew up in.
Zeng was raised in Chengdu, a city in the Sichuan province of China. She called the city and province “very special” given their stark cultural contrast to places like Beijing or Shanghai, because of its focus on diverse foods through the abundance the Earth provides.
High Times Magazine, May 2023
“Sichuan was always called ‘the land of plenty’ because we’ve got a ton of mountains and rivers—a really wide set of geography and conditions for different types of foods to thrive,” Zeng said. “It’s such an ingrained part of our culture to be foodies. I grew up in a culture where ‘foodie’ wasn’t even a concept because everybody was one. It was kind of like our birthright because it was such an ingrained part of our identity.”
Childhood …
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Author: Keegan Williams / High Times
