What Is Pressed Hash and How Is It Made?

If you’re interested in the world of cannabis concentrates, you’ve got your work cut out for you. The options are limitless, from wax to shatter to crumble and beyond, but arguably the most famous is the ancient concentrate pressed hash.

Considered the “classic” style of hash, it is a dense, chalky block that can be either sticky and oily or bricklike and dry. In comparison, unpressed hash has a loose, sand-like consistency, making it ideal for sprinkling onto a bowl or a joint before it’s rolled.

If you’ve never tried pressed hash, you’re in for a flavorful experience. Learn what it is, how it’s consumed, and much more. Ready? Let’s get rolling.

What Is Hash?

Hash—or hashish—is a legendary commodity that’s traveled through ancient India to Imperial Persia, Napoleon’s armies, and beyond. It hinges on a simple discovery: trichomes—the tiny, mushroom-like glands that coat high-grade cannabis—contribute to the plant’s potency and are easy to harvest. These microscopic glands contain most of the plant’s potent and flavorful cannabinoids and terpenes.

At first, ancient hash makers rubbed the trichomes off the flower by hand, rolling and concentrating them into oily balls called charas, a type of pressed hash. Sometime around the 15th century, the new technology of dry-sifting entered the scene and transformed how hash was made. Trichomes could then be collected, sieved, and stored for later production in the form of kief, which meant that hash could travel beyond its original home of Anida and Persia.

But isn’t pressed kief the same as pressed hash? Not quite—kief is hash’s essential source material but t’s refined and  subjected to gentle heat and pressure to create hash.

Types of Pressed Hash

There are two basic styles of pressed hash: hand-rubbed and pressed.

Hand-rubbed or Charas Hash

Hand-rubbed, or charas, hash was the first method used by early farmers when they were learning how to press hash. With this style, cured cannabis flower is rubbed between the hands to separate the dried trichomes from the plant, pressing it into a resinous ball. Though it’s a slow and labor-intensive process, it can produce an exceptional product.

Pressed Hash

Then there’s the more modern versions of pressed hash, which you may have interacted with before. Depending on the strain, the grade, and the pressing method, pressed hash can be oily, crumbly, or come in brick-like blocks. In addition to the hand rubbing method mentioned, there are several other ways to press hash. Hash master and educator Frenchy Cannoli devised a method that relies on a simple warm bottle rolling technique, but industrial presses are most often used for commercial products. High quality source material can even settle into pressed hash on its own over time.

How Is Pressed Hash Consumed?

There are endless ways to enjoy hash; here are a few of the most popular.

Hash Pipe: This essential hash tool isn’t much different from a standard cannabis pipe, but instead of a hole at the bottom of the bowl, it features smaller holes placed around the rim. Pressed hash tends to disintegrate as it burns, and the design of the pipe prevents it from falling through the bottom of the bowl as it burns.

Chillum: Like the classic one-hitter pipe, chillums are made of ceramic or soft stone. A round stopper is placed in the throat of the pipe to prevent the hashish from falling all the way through. The hash is then ignited with the chillum held upright between the middle and ring fingers. It may take a little getting used to, but it’s an excellent way to enjoy connoisseur-grade products.

Water Pipe: Otherwise known as a hookah or shisha, the simple water pipe is believed to have originated as early as the 16th century. Today, it’s an admirably simple way to cool tobacco, hashish, or cannabis smoke by drawing it through water—just add pressed hash to ground cannabis flower and take a smooth hit.

Healthstone: Designed for a miniaturized dab rig, a healthstone is an inert stone on which to place a small shard of hash. But instead of producing one very intense hit—as with a dab rig—the healthstone’s semi-porous texture allows the melting hash to permeate it, which causes a slower and more gradual release of vapor, allowing the miniature dab rig to be passed around and shared.

Explore the World of Pressed Hash With Nasha

As the world’s first cannabis concentrate, hash is an admirably simple product requiring nothing more than dried, sifted cannabis trichomes, gentle heat, and pressure. Available in traditional hand-rubbed and pressed styles, it’s the oldest—and purest—form of concentrate available. From its alluring aroma to the legendary lineage embedded in every temple ball we produce, no other product approaches hash’s history and versatility.

Want to deepen your knowledge of this storied commodity? Head to our blog and learn everything you need about vaping hash. Or, take a deep dive into the chilly world of ice water hash, the nuances of live rosin, and much more.

At Nasha, we employ traditional techniques to create a product that honors the legend of hash while taking advantage of cutting-edge advancements in botany and phytochemistry. Our cold-water technique preserves a higher-than-average proportion of precious trichomes while reducing the amount of leftover plant matter. It’s a proprietary and chemical-free process that results in what we believe is the best hash available anywhere.

If we’ve piqued your interest, check out our other exceptional hash- and rosin-based products. Whether it’s our pressed and unpressed hash, our potent hash rosin vapes, or hash-infused pre-rolls, each delivers a robust richness and depth of flavor. Use our handy Store Locator to find the closest retailer to you.