Savory Cannabis Strains That Remind Us of Salty Snacks and Sunday Dinner

Cannabis that tastes like garlic, onions and gravy aren't for everyone, but strains like Donny Burger, GMO and White Truffle are carving out their own corner in dispensaries.

Growers are homing in on aromatic plant terpenes such as caryophyllene (which is also found in black pepper), bisabolol (basil) and sulfur-heavy terps, and combining them with the more established myrcene (hops and mangos) and limonene (citrus) to create cannabis that reminds us of a hot meal instead of dessert.

Although these savory strains can be an acquired taste, they're a favorite among hash makers for high yields and potency, and cannabis users with more developed palates have responded well, too. From Funyuns to A5 Wagyu, here are fourteen strains that taste like salty snacks and Sunday dinner.

GMO

This has to be at the top of any strain list centered around garlic and onions, and maybe at the top of solventless hash lists, too. A child of Chemdog and Girl Scout Cookies (two transcendent strains in their own rights), GMO isn't the most "savory" of the bunch, but it is the most important. Whether it's smoked as rosin or flower or used to breed many of the strains on the list, GMO's impact on the cannabis world is unquestioned. The top-tier potency and pungent odor — a mix of gas, garlic and chemical cleaner — will keep GMO in dispensaries and dab rigs for years to come.

Donny Burger

Donny Burger is a mix of GMO and Han Solo Burger, which is also a GMO cross, so I wasn't shocked to smell sharp jabs of garlic and onion, pine and skunky rubber — but a slice of cheese and a drizzle of chemical cleaner were fun surprises. In no world but cannabis does that sound attractive, but I frickin' loved it. Colorado's best growers love Donny Burger, too. Talented grows like 710 Labs, Bubba's Kush and Meraki are all flipping Donny's right now, and each one of them makes a tasty Burger.

Slap and Tickle

Slap and Tickle is a lot like a bulb of garlic, in that it can be funky, zesty or sweet, depending on how you prepare it for consumption. (That's what you get when you pair GMO with Grape Pie in the breeding room.) Opening a jar showcases a sweet aroma with hints of black pepper, but pinching a whole bud shows off more fruity aspects of berries and grapes. Breaking it up spreads out the smell even more, with stronger notes of sweet onion and garlic and an earthy, coffee-like ending.

Slap and Tickle is a heavy nighttime strain for most users, so be wary of that seductive smell in the afternoon. Although not the easiest strain to find around Colorado, Single Source's cut is a top-notch representation of the strain. Consider it the weed version of that gum in Willy Wonka that tastes like a three-course meal.

Grease Bucket

Grease Bucket is a trichome-laden cross of Garlic Cookies and Banana Punch, and a popular strain in Denver dispensaries. Valued for potency and a shiny sheen of THC crystals, Grease Bucket isn't the strongest-smelling savory strain, but the buds still pump out fumes of gas, garlic and earthy hash. Anyone who wants to sauté their brain on a Thursday night should give Grease Bucket a look-see — and smell. The pungent mix of herbs and petrol singes the nostrils, in a good way.

Mr. Nasty

As far as appetizing names go, Mr. Nasty doesn't score high. At best, he's a questionable porn star. At worst, a serial-killing clown. But after popping open a jar of this resin-laden mix of GMO and Grease Monkey, you'll think that Mr. Nasty is aptly named. A popular strain in Denver dispensaries, Mr Nasty melts my stress and anxiety away, and most cuts give me a boost in creativity and outlook, too. Now it goes by Sir Nasty in my house.

A5 Wagyu

An in-house mix from Green Dot Labs, this hybrid of Downshift and Candy Cake is one of the best from the Boulder-based grower, which describes the strain as "fatty, savory gas." That might sound like a bad post-burrito experience, but opening a jar of A5 Wagyu showcases a sweet, rubbery funk with a zesty onion blanket and buttery finish, all of which classic terp lovers go crazy for. A5 Wagyu's high is so strong that most people should keep it for an after-work session or a night spent inside, but those bovine buds will last you a long time.

Pot Roast

If the name doesn't give Pot Roast's salty, savory flavor away, then the strain's parents will. This mix of GMO and Meat Breath was made to put users into lower gear, with a mildly relaxing high that snowballs into heavier sedation within two hours. The flavor is spicier and more Diesel-forward than the smell and could use a little sweetness, but a heavy soy-sauce tang is enjoyable nonetheless. The Iion cultivation grows most, if not all, of the Pot Roast flower in Colorado right now, but it's a solid representation.

Garlic Juice

Zesty, herbal and in your face, Garlic Juice smells like an empty produce bin before your nostrils calm down and notice timid notes of pine, apples and sour-rubber finish. Those secondary aromas can be hard to find and might require coaxing, but Garlic Juice has some fruity or candy-like appeal after an initial strong wave of cloves, pine and coriander. Not my favorite, but an interesting switch for the tastebuds, and I can see others enjoying it more. Known for relaxing effects and stress relief, Garlic Juice isn't as popular as it used to be, but you can still find a good cut and great rosin from Malek's.

Roasted Garlic Margy

Roasted Garlic Margy is mix of GMO and Frozen Margy from Colorado's own Cannarado Genetics. The up-and-comer inherited GMO's herbal, skunky qualities, but Frozen Margy, a rare strain with Chemdog, Fire OG, LHB Headband, Pinesol, Sour Dub and Triangle Kush genetics, might have been the perfect showcase. Despite the genetic hodgepodge, Frozen Margy added little more than pine to the results, and allowed GMO's garlic flavors to blossom even more.

Funyunz

Remember the Droopy cartoon character? Take the dog's eyes, drag them onto your face, and that's you after smoking Funyunz. The relaxation isn't immediate, usually taking 30 to 45 minutes to build up before slapping me in the face with a nonstop barrage of yawns, stretching and longing memories of an empty bed. This hybrid of GMO and Sunset Sherbet puts me to sleep faster than a tenth-grade teacher's geometry lecture, and the burnt-garlic and onion-powder notes remind me of a bag of chips at lunch. Cherry and Higher Grade grow my favorite takes on Funyunz, but there could be new growers on the block, too.

Poontang Pie

Once you get past the name, this mix of Tropicanna Cookies, Grape Pie and Papaya from the pre-buyout crew at Oni Seed Co. is seriously impressive in rosin form. I'm not a huge fan of Poontang Pie flower, but these buds were made for washin', anyway. Poontang Pie's fantastic rosin carries notes of berries, citrus, juniper and pine, but that's only the beginning. Layers of tropical fruit and spicy onion eventually take over in what is one of the more complex dabs out there. The high is usually straight down the middle, which is a great quality for fans of all-day strains. Den-Rec's and Locol Love's flower aren't lookers, but they smoke well enough. Still, it's best to stick to the hash world if you want a top experience with PTP. Single Source's rosin is my favorite so far, though I've yet to try versions from Green Dot Labs.

Garlic Breath

Although Garlic Breath's savory notes are more subtle than those of its peer on this list, the herbaceous funk and face-melting high are loud and clear. The mix of GMO and a Mendo Breath phenotype is a chip off both old blocks, and will make even the most ardent tokers float in space. Dispensaries label Garlic Breath a nighttime strain because it has sedating potential, but also because it’s so fucking strong that you won’t want to leave the safe confines of your house after eclipsing a couple of hits. Don’t feel bad if you end up breathing out of your mouth often; it’s a common side effect.

Han Solo Burger

Like its son, Donny Burger, Han Solo Burger is very easy to find in dispensaries right now. Larry OG and GMO were crossed to create this funky, salty smoking experience, which typically ends with users sprawled out on the couch. Sticky, purple and covered in resin hooks, Donny Burger is popular on the flower shelf and with hash makers. Get a gram of rosin, and you'll notice hints of leather, tobacco and black pepper, which mix well with Han Solo's savory qualities.

White Truffle

If you don't like Maui sweet onions, then I don't like you. Ipso facto: If you don't like White Truffle, I don't like you, either. Breeding a hybrid of Peanut Butter Breath and Gorilla Glue sounds like a blind mix, but the result produced a sweet onion flavor, with nutty, savory aromas hanging around at the end to give White Truffle a buttery back end. Don't expect to accomplish much after indulging in White Truffle, but you'll have at least a few minutes of able-bodiedness to get your affairs in order.