(Image courtesy of Gabrielle Catalano)Wojapi is a Native American and Canadian First Nations berry sauce, made from a recipe that has been handed down generation to generation between families. Each individual tribe recipe was created based on the local indigenous berries available to that area. Chokecherries, blueberries, huckleberries, cherries, cranberries and/or blackberries can be used for traditional wojapi. Historically, this thick, pudding-like berry dish was made by simply cooking down the berries in their own juices until a compote was created. It was not until later iterations that sugar, honey, corn flour and wheat flour ended up as part of the recipe.
This Thanksgiving holiday, we’re honoring our Native American brothers and sisters with an Unthanksgiving Day feast, including a traditional wojapi infused with Berry Kush, one of our favorite strains for lifting the blues and feeling those hues.
Wojapi Infused With Berry Kush
This delicious berry mixture pairs extremely well with fry bread, which Navajo history tells us was created in 1864 during the 300-mile journey from Arizona to New Mexico. This passage was known as the Long Walk of the Navajo, whereby the US government forced the indigenous people to move far away onto land that could not propagate their traditional foods. For many tribes, fry bread, much like wojapi, weaves like a thread through the generations, connecting the past to the present day. It is a painful reminder of history as much as it is a reminder of resilience and survival. Wojapi and fry bread both are made in the perspective of individual tribes and honor the Native American spirit.
When it comes to the juicy, sweet berry flavor of traditional wojapi, Berry Kush is a match made in heaven. This strain also goes by the name of Kush Berry, so don’t get confused! This cross of Blueberry and OG Kush birthed a medicinal force to be reckoned with. Great for mood disorders, the effects of this strain hit fast in a cerebral whoosh. Then it takes the consumer for a ride on the indica hybrid train and into a totally relaxed and balanced body high.
People who suffer from anxiety disorders or who experience big doses of high stress daily will benefit from the hybrid effects of this strain. Flavor wise, Berry Kush imparts a fresh, fruity flavor, with notes of earth and citrus dusted with sugar. These flavor profiles marry perfectly with the indigenous berries of the Great Plains, creating a memorable and perhaps new favorite addition to a traditional wojapi recipe.
Ingredients You Will Need:
- 4 cups chokecherries, blueberries, huckleberries, cherries, cranberries, and/or blackberries (can be either fresh or frozen)
- 4 servings of dosed, decarbed Berry Kush kief
Directions:
Step 1: Add the fresh or frozen berries to a large sauce pot. Turn the heat up to high while stirring constantly.
Step 2: When the berries start to release juice, immediately turn down the heat to the lowest setting. Continue stirring to prevent berries from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Step 3: Allow the berries to simmer in their own juices until a pudding-like consistency is achieved. Serve with traditional fry bread.
How To Properly Decarboxylate Kief:
- Preheat your oven to 220 degrees Fahrenheit. Take a baking sheet and line it with parchment paper that will not burn in the oven.
- Very carefully sprinkle the kief onto the sheet, making sure it’s evenly disbursed. Place the baking sheet into the oven uncovered and heat for 25 minutes.
- Pull the baking sheet from the oven, allowing it to cool completely. Be very careful when removing it from the pan. You now have decarboxylated or “activated” medical kief, ready for consumption.
Dosage: If one gram of kief tests at 60 percent THC, then 60 percent of 1,000mg (1 gram) would be 600mg. So, if you added 1/4 of a gram worth of kief into the total recipe at 60 percent THC, it would contain 150mg total. Sub the number of your kief THC percentage and do the math to figure out your dosing. If you want a smaller dose, cut the cannabis down to a smaller portion, such as 1/8th of a gram, or adjust the servings as needed. This recipe produces four servings of wojapi.
Alternative Strain Suggestions
Strains that possess berry, blueberry or sweet fruit terpenes and flavonoids are the perfect accompaniment for jam-like wojapi. The following would be ideal if you didn’t have Berry Kush handy:
Berry White: The child of Blueberry and White Widow, this indica flavor favor will have you feeling soothed and groovy, while keeping the likes of post-traumatic stress disorder at arm’s length.
Blueberry: Consume any time — this delicious strain has the well-deserved reputation of being sedating and relaxing while imparting feelings of euphoria.
Berry OG: Mellow out with this pain reliever that will kneed your muscles into goo and swiftly send you gliding into sleep’s dreamy embrace.
Very Berry: Feel that warm sativa uplift as you become the life of the party with this potent puffing puppy.
If you cannot find these strains, don’t panic, just follow your nose and taste buds to finds strains that would complement the dish. And when choosing another strain, keep in mind that the THC percentage will be different, therefore dose accordingly.
