Terpenes in food: which fruits, herbs, and spices carry the same compounds as cannabis
Every terpene in cannabis lives somewhere else in nature first. Myrcene is what makes a ripe mango smell like a mango. Limonene is citrus peel. Pinene is a pine forest, or a sprig of rosemary. Linalool is lavender. When you smell a strain, you are smelling a particular mix of compounds you have known your whole life from the produce aisle and the spice rack. This guide lists which foods carry which terpenes, what the concentrations actually are, and what that means if you are buying terpenes on purpose.
Foods, fruits, herbs, and spices by terpene
| Terpene | Where you already know it from | What it smells like | MONDAYS strain that carries the most |
|---|---|---|---|
| Myrcene | Mango, hops, lemongrass, thyme, bay leaf | Ripe fruit, earthy, musky | Pineapple Express, 65% of the profile |
| Limonene | Citrus peel, juniper, peppermint | Bright citrus | Sour Diesel, 19% |
| Beta-caryophyllene | Black pepper, cloves, cinnamon, oregano | Peppery, woody, warm | Lemon Cherry Gelato, 17% |
| Alpha-pinene | Pine needles, rosemary, basil, dill | Pine, sharp, fresh | LA Confidential, 31% |
| Linalool | Lavender, coriander seed, sweet basil, mint | Floral, slightly spicy | Animal Mintz, 9% |
| Alpha-humulene | Hops, sage, ginseng, ginger | Earthy, woody, beer-like | Lemon Cherry Gelato, 5% |
| Terpinolene | Nutmeg, tea tree, apples, lilac, cumin | Fresh, piney, floral, a little citrus | Present in every profile at trace levels |
| Ocimene | Mint, parsley, basil, orchids, mango | Sweet, herbal, green | Pineapple Express, 2% |
| Alpha-bisabolol | Chamomile, the candeia tree | Delicate floral, sweet | Trace in the balanced strains |
| Nerolidol | Jasmine, tea tree, ginger, lemongrass | Woody, fresh bark, floral | Animal Mintz, under 1% |
| Geraniol | Rose, geranium, lemon, citronella | Rose, sweet citrus | Trace in the balanced strains |
The mango question, answered honestly
The internet's favorite terpene story is that eating a mango before smoking makes the high stronger because mangoes carry myrcene. The first half is true: mangoes do contain myrcene, and myrcene is the most common terpene in cannabis. The second half has never been shown in a controlled study. Myrcene in a mango is measured in micrograms; myrcene in a Pineapple Express chew is measured in milligrams. If you want myrcene, you want the strain that leads with it, not the fruit that hints at it.
Concentration is the whole story
A fruit or herb carries terpenes at flavor level, typically parts per million. A cannabis strain carries them at profile level, where a single compound can be a majority of the volatiles. That is why a strain smells like something specific and a mango smells like a mango. A MONDAYS hemp chew carries 20mg of terpenes per chew in the ratio the plant makes them, 81 to 125 compounds depending on the strain, and every product page lists every compound with its milligrams per chew.
Cooking with terpenes
Chefs have used terpene-rich ingredients forever without the word: rosemary on lamb is pinene, black pepper on anything is caryophyllene, lemon zest is limonene. Isolated food-grade terpenes are sold for flavoring, and they work the same way an extract does: a drop or two, added off heat, because terpenes are volatile and cook away. If you want the character of a specific strain in something you eat, the honest answer is that a full profile is very hard to assemble from isolates, which is why we start from the plant's own ratio.
Frequently asked questions
Which fruits have the most terpenes?
Mango (myrcene), citrus peel (limonene), and apples (terpinolene) are the usual answers. In all cases the amounts are flavor-level, far below what a strain carries.
Are terpenes in food the same as terpenes in cannabis?
Yes, molecule for molecule. Limonene from an orange and limonene from Sour Diesel are the same compound. The difference is concentration and company: a strain carries dozens of terpenes together in a specific ratio.
Can food terpenes get you high?
No. Terpenes are not intoxicating in food or anywhere else. The high in cannabis comes from THC.
Where can I see a full terpene profile?
Every hemp product page at MONDAYS shows the complete measured profile with the percentage and milligrams per chew for every compound. Start with The Daily Commute (Pineapple Express) or browse the terpene library.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
