The Cookies & C.R.E.A.M. produced from UMMA’s Santa Rosa garden is an absolute homage to the dessert era, which kicked off in the early 2010s and changed the way we looked at elite Cannabis forever.
Cookies & C.R.E.A.M. flower from UMMA is stunning; the bag appeal checks every box from looks to nose and everything in between. In honor of The Tannins & Terpenes Issue, our recommended pairing for this strain is a locally made vanilla bean ice cream.
Tannins
When it comes to our pick for a vanilla bean ice cream, it’s a little complex at first.
While there’s not a ton on the tannins in vanilla beans, GSC strains contain a broad range of polyphenolic compounds that may contribute the kind of subtle dryness, bitterness and astringency found in concentrated vanilla. These compounds interact with other aromatic molecules to shape the overall sensory experience in both.
In other words, the tannins found in vanilla beans and Cookies & C.R.E.A.M are better understood as contributors to an overall mouthfeel rather than the source of that characteristic flavor. Along with this, the creaminess and subtle sweetness of the ice cream enhance the dough and fuel flavors coming from the flower.
Terpenes
This phenotype being grown by UMMA is another hitter out of Fiya Farmer’s stable. To create C.R.E.A.M., which UMMA is putting on shelves as Cookies & C.R.E.A.M., Fiya Farmer brought together Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies and Grease Monkey.
We talked with UMMA’s cultivation lead, Giancarlo Di Fede, about working with the strain over the last year. “It’s a little bit different than the candy craze that’s been there for quite some time,” Di Fede told Leaf Magazines. “The Cookies come through pretty well. I think the Grease Monkey just gives it that extra greasy coat that it has, but there is also a pretty nice caramel kind of complexity to it.”
Di Fede went on to note that after the rave reviews they started getting from their bulk buyers, the UMMA team knew they wanted to start packaging this in their own jars, but the decision to move forward wasn’t a given. “I had some hesitation, and I think we all did, but it seemed like just the serendipity of the candy craze kind of coming to a little bit of a slowdown allowed us to start to introduce some other genetics that are really cool as well.”
The Cookies side of things is obviously the star of the show, but don’t sleep on how much the Grease Monkey brings to the flavor. This combination of GG #4 and the original Cookies & Cream bred by Exotic Genetix adds a lot to the profile, as does our pairing.
This article was originally published in the September 2026 issue of California Leaf.
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