Shadi Bee

Founder | Herbalist | Ethnomycologist | Culinary Anthropologist

Diverse and intuitive food is Shadi Bee’s root chakra. As a first-generation Iranian American, Shadi grew up in kitchens where food was slow, reverent, and infused with love — a philosophy that continues to shape her work today. She is the founder of Nettle and the Baker, a creative studio at the intersection of botanical cuisine, regenerative agriculture, and sustainability.

Diverse and unique food is my root chakra.

As a first-generation Iranian American, the only food I ever knew growing up was slow, intuitive, and treated with reverence. That foundation shaped my relationship to the kitchen and continues to ground everything I create.

I hold an M.A. in Cultural Anthropology with a focus on sustainability, with fieldwork across Nepal that deepened my commitment to the triple bottom line: people, planet, and profit. This ethos guides how I source food, partner with farmers, and run my businesses with integrity.

I’m mostly a self-taught chef who has intentionally traveled the world to immerse myself in food cultures, bringing those experiences home to shape my cuisine. My food carries the essence and terroir of these places:

Mexico — Tulum, Juarez, Acapulco, Cancún
Japan — Tokyo, Hakuba, Nagano, Mt. Fuji
Nepal — Kathmandu, Chitwan, Kali Gandaki, Pokhara
Italy — Siena, Arezzo, Pordenone, Friuli, Venezia, Lago di Garda, Verona, Pisa, Cinque Terre, Tirano, Udine, Firenze
France — Paris
Switzerland — Chur
Iran — Tehran
Canada — Montreal, Vancouver, Quebec

Regenerative Agriculture
Having worked as a farmer, I deeply understand the labor, care, and resources it takes to grow even a single heirloom carrot. I prioritize local sourcing within 100 miles, work closely with farmers, and use clean, ethical meats and artisan products to honor the land and the people behind the food.

Ayurveda & Herbalism
I’ve studied Ayurvedic cuisine and herbalism for over a decade, including work with Dr. Vasant Lad at the Ayurvedic Institute, where I also explored chakra studies. I have extensive experience crafting dosha-specific menus and weaving Ayurvedic herbs into nourishing, medicinal meals. In Western herbalism, I trained with students of Rosemary Gladstar in Vermont and completed a 10-week series with Brigitte Mars in Colorado. I love bringing kitchen witchery alive through plants and herbs.

Cookbook Author

In 2020, I released Hemp Can Change the World — a love letter to one of the planet’s most powerful and misunderstood plants. This all-vegan, gluten-free collection weaves together global flavors and timeless traditions, showcasing hemp’s incredible versatility and nutrition.

True to its mission, the first edition was printed on hemp paper — a small but mighty act of integrity. One of my favorite reviews called it “the biggest small book I ever read,” a perfect reflection of the passion and purpose packed into every page.

Professor & Educator
As an adjunct professor, I teach undergraduate and graduate seminars on cross-cultural fermentation, culinary and medicinal mushrooms, and food sovereignty. I also teach university courses in cultural anthropology, connecting students to the intersections of food, culture, and sustainability.

Noteworthy Gigs & Speaking Experience

• Colorado Mountain College — Culinary & Medicinal Mushrooms Lecture

• Medicinal Mushroom Symposium — “Truffle Mushroom: Magic, Folklore & Gastronomy”

• Indigenous Hemp Conference — “Hemp as High Vibe Nutrition”

• Earth Guardian Event — Panel on Hemp and Climate Change

• NMSU — Guest Lecturer, Graduate Anthropology Seminar on Fermentation

• Telluride Mushroom Festival — Cordyceps, Turkey Tail, and Truffle presentations

• Southern Hemp Expo, NOCO Hemp Expo, Arise Festival — Hemp nutrition and cannabis panels

• University of Nebraska — Morality of Capitalism Symposium

Press & Media

• Forbes Magazine — Hemp Can Change the World cookbook featured as a Top Ten Mother’s Day Cannabis Gift

• Colorado Public Television — Featured guest on hemp and CBD

• Denver 9 News — Live interview on my edible hemp intimacy cream

• Westword Magazine — Highlight on my cookbook, Hemp Can Change the World

• Boulder Daily Camera — Article on my hemp intimacy cream

• Skunk Magazine — Author of Feed Your Head: Lion’s Mane Mushrooms

Crafting magic with the earth’s finest offerings. Nettle and the Baker fuses mystical herbs, fungi, and the art of alchemy to create a new kind of vitality.