Kief vs Hash: What You Need to Know About Two Ancient Concentrates

If you’ve ever visited a dispensary, you know how overwhelming the options can be. Seemingly every week there are new forms of cannabis concentrates and extracts hitting the market—in addition to the edibles, vapes, and other exciting innovations in cannabis products.

But there are some things in cannabis that simply stand the test of time, some techniques and experiences that have been enjoyed for millennia. In this post, we’ll unpack two of the building blocks of all modern cannabis concentrates: Kief and hash.

Beguiling and steeped in history, these two products were the world’s very first cannabis concentrates. But…what’s the difference between hash and kief? And why might you choose one or the other in a given situation?

Keep reading to explore these questions and more. By the end, you’ll know not only how kief and hash differ, but you’ll understand where they come from and how they are used, along with what you may experience while enjoying hash or kief. Let’s get rolling!

What’s the Difference Between Kief and Hash?

Many centuries ago, cannabis cultivators in present-day India and Pakistan had a hunch. Suspecting that the trichomes—the tiny, mushroom-like glands that coat high-quality cannabis—contributed the bulk of the plant’s potency, they devised a method to separate the trichomes from the flower.

Once dried, those trichomes are known as kief. You may know kief well already, if you have a flower grinder with a collection tray for kief at the bottom of it. Taking the form of tiny, sand-like grains, this crude, unrefined concentrate can be added to a joint or a bowl for added flavor and potency.

But there’s something more: While kief is delightful on its own, it’s also the essential ingredient in hash, a product that found its way across ancient trade routes to the Middle East, where it gained its true fame.

Is hash pure kief? Yes and no. Kief is the essential source material for hash, which is then further refined to earn the title of hashish. This hashish may be either loose and unpressed, as in our Green and Orange Label unpressed hash products, or subjected to gentle heat and pressure to concentrate the kief into a more solid form.

What does pressed hash look like? Because it’s made from gently heated and pressed refined kief, our pressed hash typically takes the form of smooth, richly colored balls. The specific consistency and texture of hash will also vary according to its grade. Higher grade hash has gone through more refinement to remove plant material, which increases the ratio of plant material to cannabis oil and creates an increasingly smooth and full-bodied experience.

Our Red Label Pressed Hash, for instance, can be sticky or crumbly, depending on the specific cultivar used, while our smooth Blue Pressed Hash simply melts into a puddle of potent, aromatic oil when heated.

In addition to the chalky or crumbly form that most hash takes, some specialty products—such as our Onyx Pressed Live Hash, inspired by classic Indian hand-rolled charas hashish—take the form of gooey, fragrant balls.

What about bubble hash? This is another term you may often hear when talking about high-quality hashish. Bubble hash is made with a cold-water extraction process that results in a highly refined product that bubbles when it is subjected to heat and melts. Cold-water extraction is a well-loved and ancient solventless technique that produces a clean extract, and at Nasha all of our products begin with a proprietary cold-water process.

Hash vs Kief: Potency, Flavor, and Aromas

Now that you know a bit about the difference between hash and kief, let’s dig a little deeper into specifics regarding these products’ potencies, uses, and—most important of all—the unforgettable sensory pleasures of these two classic concentrates.

Potency

Let’s start with the question of potency. Each is considerably more potent than even the most potent cannabis flower on its own.

Why? The strongest cannabis flower tops at around 30-35% THC—the cannabinoid responsible for most of the cannabis plant’s intoxicating properties. Because hash (and the kief that’s used to make it) are comprised only of the cannabinoid-rich trichomes, it’s not uncommon for each to reach potencies of 50% - 70% THC.

While that’s not quite as strong as the most potent modern concentrates—the wax, shatter, and other products that go into modern dab rigs can top 90% potency—trust us: It’s plenty potent. Because of this—and because hash is so intensely flavorful—we recommend you go slow and savor the experience. Remember: You can always have more hash, but you can’t have less!

Is hash more potent than kief? During the hash production process, plant matter and other impurities are removed and then further concentrated as they are pressed into a solid form. So, yes: Hash is generally more potent than kief, although there are exceptions to the rule based on style of hash, specific cultivar, and other factors.

Flavors and Aromas

Kief is perhaps the most accessible of all cannabis concentrates, especially if you enjoy flower regularly. As mentioned, you can easily collect kief with a specialized grinder that has a mesh screen and a small tray at the bottom to collect the trichomes that fall off during the grinding process. As you might expect, kief has a higher level of plant material than unpressed or pressed hash, which typically leads to a more woody flavor and sometimes harsher smoke.

What does hash taste like? If you’ve never sampled this fabled concentrate, you’re in for a treat! Dusky, mysterious, and steeped in ancient lore, hash is both a distillation of the best qualities of cannabis and something different. Many fans describe perfume-like notes: Think sandalwood, vanilla, and other rich aromatics.

As with truly exceptional cannabis, you’ll taste the distinctive terpenes that define each cultivar’s characteristic profile. Expect the high to be euphoric, enveloping, and long-lasting. And depending on the specific varietal used to craft the hash—have you visited our encyclopedic Strain Library yet?—you’ll feel a relaxing blend of body-centered sensations or a headier, more cerebral high that lends a creative spark.

How to Enjoy Kief and Hash

Typically not consumed just on its own, kief and unpressed hash is commonly sprinkled onto bowls or into joints before they’re rolled up.

When it comes to pressed hash, there are as many ways to enjoy it as there are varieties of it! But over time, hash connoisseurs have settled on a few favorites. Here’s a curated list.

• Hash Pipe: The stone cold classic. While it’s superficially similar to a hand pipe, there’s an important difference: The small holes lining the rim of the bowl instead. Because hash falls apart as it burns, this design prevents precious material from falling through the bottom of the bowl as it disintegrates. The result is a hit of maximum flavor and potency (with little to no waste).
• Chillum: This ancient smoking tool was first popularized in India some three centuries ago; later it spread to Africa and then west to the Americas, where it became an essential component of Rastafarian rituals. While similar to a ceramic or stone “one-hitter,” the chillum is often stylized or decorated to add an exotic twist to your hash or cannabis smoking routine.
• Water Pipe: Known by many names throughout the ages—hookah and shisha being the most famous—the water pipe is believed to have originated in India or Persia around the 17th century. While not as portable as a hash pipe or chillum, it’s still a simple and elegant way to cool, purify, and inhale hashish or cannabis smoke.
• The Healthstone: Designed to be used with a special miniaturized dab rig, this cylinder of inert stone cradles a small amount of hash. What’s the big deal? The healthstone’s pumice-like texture allows melted hash to permeate the surface, making it easier to pass the miniature dab rig around (and share the joy of hash with friends!).

Ready to Explore the World of Artisan Hash?

As we’ve seen, kief and hash are two different products that are intertwined.

If kief is better-known (and more commonly enjoyed on its own), as the essential building block of hash, it still has a vital and historically important role to play. Thanks to the amazing aromatic complexities of the cannabis plant, both kief and hash are known for their mysterious, earthy, almost perfume-like aromas and flavors. Because they’re made of concentrated dried trichomes—where all the plant’s cannabinoids are produced—they’re both considerably more potent than cannabis flower.

Hash is typically enjoyed via hash pipe, chillum, or healthstone accessory to a dab rig. That said, you can also crumble some into a bowl or joint. Trust us: It will still be just as potent, delicious, and beguiling as through a specialized tool. That’s the beauty of this ancient and storied concentrate: It travels well, and it’s always down to party.

Interested in trying hash for yourself? Our pressed hash “temple balls” boast incomparable richness and depth of flavor. And if you’re looking to add a sprinkling of flavor and potency to your everyday smoke, you can’t do better than our artisan-grade unpressed hash, offered in two grades. Find them both at our products page, or use our handy Store Locator to learn where you can find these and our other handcrafted offerings. And don't forget to sign up for Nasha Rewards so you can earn rewards on any Nasha product you purchase in California!