What Is Temple Ball Hash and How Is It Used?

In a world that’s constantly telling us to stay alert, get in the game, and keep our finger on the pulse, we’re big believers in taking a moment to slow down and enjoy life’s little pleasures, which is the spirit that goes directly into our most iconic offering: temple ball hash.

If you’ve been curious about the history of the hash ball or wondered how to use temple ball hash, you’ve come to the right place. By the end of this post, you’ll know what sets temple ball hash apart and the key ways to enjoy this uniquely artisanal product.

Ready? Let’s get rolling!

What Are Temple Balls?

In ancient India, the earliest form of hash was a hand-rolled product known as charas. Taking the form of fragrant, gooey balls, they were the world’s first cannabis concentrate. A few centuries later, early technologies such as screens and sifters would change hash-making forever, but for those in the know, the hash ball is the only way to roll. Today, our temple hash ball is an homage to those early charas makers.

The Hindu Kush Mountains are often cited as the birthplace of cannabis cultivation, so it’s no surprise that the region is also considered the birthplace of hash. The story begins in the 13th century AD, when the first documented uses of hashish can be traced back to ancient Egypt. Several centuries later, cannabis cultivators in present-day India and Pakistan began refining methods of collecting the tiny, mushroom-like glands that coat high-grade cannabis—known as trichomes.

When separated trichomes are allowed to dry, they’re known as kief. There’s a good chance you’ve interacted with kief already—just look at the bottom of the collection tray under your flower grinder. The tiny, sand-like grains can be added to a joint or a bowl for added flavor and potency. Kief is the essential source material for hash, and it typically undergoes further refinement in the hashmaking process.

The first way we know hash was produced was in the form of charas, those hand-rubbed hash balls we referenced earlier. They’re just what they sound like: carefully and painstakingly collected kief rolled by hands into fragrant, luscious little balls of hash.

How Is Temple Ball Hash Made?

Starting in around the 15th century, hash makers discovered that sifting their kief resulted in a finer, more potent product, and this, in turn, led to the modern blocks of chalky hash we know and love today. But our temple ball hash is a little different. While it hearkens back to the artistry of those ancient Indian hashmakers, our signature hash ball takes advantage of some very modern refinements.

One of those refinements is our own simple and elegant cold-water technique. Unlike solvent-based concentrates, it doesn’t require complex machinery or solvents, and we use it to create hashish that preserves a greater proportion of potent and aromatic trichomes while reducing the amount of plant matter in the final product.

Once we’ve purified and concentrated the trichomes, we hand-roll it into perfect 1.2 gram hash balls. Capable of being enjoyed in several ways, our temple ball hash imparts an uncommonly smooth smoke characterized by rich flavors and aromas.

Here are the distinguishing features of temple ball hash:

Texture

Seeing as it’s an entirely handmade product, it’s no exaggeration to say that the story of hash balls begins with their texture. The shiny, slightly sticky exterior is a hint to what lies inside: A rich and fragrant smoke, thanks to the unusually high terpene levels preserved by our proprietary cold-water processing method.

Flavor and Aroma

If the experience of temple ball hash begins with texture, it definitely ends with flavor. Depending on the grade you choose, you’ll experience an incredible range of sensory experiences once our hash balls are awakened with the application of heat.

Our Red Pressed Hash ranges from sticky to crumbly, depending on the specific cultivar used, while our smooth Blue Pressed Hash melts into a puddle of potent, aromatic oil. Don’t forget our Onyx Pressed Live Hash, which makes use of the same flash-freezing process as our incredibly flavorful cold-cure live rosin, but the texture and smoothness tell you that it’s clearly inspired by those classic Indian hand-rolled charas balls of antiquity.

Hash Ball Potency

THC is the cannabinoid responsible for most of the psychoactive and intoxicating properties of cannabis, with the strongest cannabis flower topping at around 30 - 35%. But it’s not uncommon for hashish to reach potencies of 50% - 60% THC. As a result, the experience can be considerably more intense.

Even if you’re used to hashish, we suggest you start with very small amounts of Nasha Hash at first. Why? Our proprietary and chemical-free process results in a product of unusual purity, flavor, and potency, so we invite you to slow down, take your time, and fully savor the experience.

How to Use Temple Ball Hash

You don’t need a specialized tool in order to enjoy our exceptional temple ball hash; many people enjoy it by scraping off tiny shards with a knife or similar implement and then adding those pieces to joints and bowls for a burst of potency and rich flavor. But that’s not the only way to consume it—here are some popular ways to enjoy temple ball hash.

Hash Pipe: Though it’s similar to a standard hand pipe, this device has a special feature: A series of small holes at the rim of the bowl. Since hash tends to disintegrate as it burns, this design prevents precious material from falling through the bottom of the bowl. The result? Maximum flavor and potency with little to no wasted product.

Chillum: Essentially a ceramic or stone “one-hitter,” the chillum adds an exotic and pleasurable twist to your hash enjoyment. First popularized in India some 300 years ago, the device spread to Africa and then west to the Americas, where it became an essential part of Rastafarian rituals.

Water Pipe: Known throughout the ages as a hookah or shisha, this simple but time-honored device is believed to have originated either in India or Persia around the 17th century, and it’s an elegant way to cool, purify, and inhale tobacco, hashish, or cannabis smoke.

Healthstone: Designed to be used with a miniaturized dab rig, this modern implement is essentially an insert stone on which to place a small amount of hash. Its pumice-like texture allows melted hash to permeate the surface, making it easier to pass the rig around—all the better for sharing the joy of artisanal hash balls with friends.

However you consume it, our temple ball hash offers exceptional flavor backed by our passion for pure cannabis hash and ancient techniques.

Explore Artisanal Hash and More With Nasha Hash

Smooth, oily, and rich, premium temple ball hash is our signature offering. While functionally similar to the chalky bricks of hash you may be used to, our hash balls are a gateway to a different realm of pure flavors and aromas thanks to our simple and proprietary cold-water process method.

Ready to fall deeper down the rabbit hole? Visit our hash blog, where you can explore other hash-related content like the story of ice water hash, the exceptionally terpene-rich style of hash sometimes known as “bubble hash.” Whatever you call it, it’s a delicious way to try our uniquely artisanal offerings.

Interested in trying the incomparable richness and depth of temple ball hash for yourself? Find it in our products collection, or use our handy Store Locator to learn where you can find this and our other handcrafted offerings.