Hindu Kush is a pure indica strain named after the mountain range stretching 500 miles between Pakistan and Afghanistan where it originated. The harsh climate of its homeland has conditioned this strain to express a thick, protective coat of crystal trichomes cherished by hash makers worldwide. With a subtle sweet and earthy sandalwood aroma, Hindu Kush induces a deep sense of calm that helps bring relief to those suffering pain, nausea, and stress disorders.
What is Hindu Kush?
Seeds of Kush were first introduced to the US back in the 60s and 70s by people exploring a route known as the “hippie trail.” This popular trek was taken by countless members of the hippy counterculture and others, a trail that ran through Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and Nepal. With Kush found in welcomed abundance in this foreign land, there were many eager seed smugglers responsible for bringing this strain to the States.Continue Reading Below
While a “true” landrace Hindu Kush may be hard to find, it is possible. Because the modern marijuana is saturated with countless strains that have been crossbred, landrace strains are less common, but they certainly haven’t completely disappeared.
What are the Characteristics of Kush?
A pure Kush is 100% indica. It’s definitely a classic couchlock strain that is combined with a euphoric sense that typically leaves users pleasantly and comfortably relaxed. It’s known to be extremely adept at relieving pain, making it a top choice for many medical patients. It’s also excellent for helping with nausea and a good choice for individuals suffering from insomnia.
The appearance of Kush is characterized by deeply green, highly sticky, dense buds. You may find a hint of purple in some of the leaves, with orange or bronze pistils. Kush maintains a very complex aroma. Typically always pungent, Kush can smell sweet and musky at the same time, while being earthy with hints of pine and sandalwood. The taste of Kush is distinct and reminiscent of the region it’s from, with an incense-like flavor with hints of herbs and spices.
While the original Kush is known as Hindu Kush, there have been many strains bred from this popular original landrace. It’s a popular strain to breed with other strains, leading to a variety of cannabis strains that all have strong characteristics of this ancient cannabis strain that has withstood the test of time.Continue Reading Below
Following are the five most popular Kush strains available on the marijuana market today. While you might have trouble locating a true Hindu Kush, the following strains have all descended from the wildly popular original.
OG Kush
OG Kush is a legend. This extremely popular strain is thought to be a cross between the landrace Hindu Kush and Chemdawg, but its true origins are shrouded in mystery. Did it come from a bag seed at a Grateful Dead show like some claim? Does the OG stand for “original gangster” or the “ocean grown” cross of Chemdawg and a Lemon Thai/Pakistani Kush hybrid that many purport is the true foundation for this famous strain?
Despite the origins of this classic Kush strain, one thing is certain. OG Kush is straight fire. Uplifting and euphoric with a sense of increased focus is how many people describe this well-revered strain of weed. It’s also excellent when used in social settings thanks to the mental stimulation and lifted mood it’s known for.
Master Kush
Master Kush is a multiple award-winning indica-dominant hybrid. A cross between Hindu Kush and Skunk, this strain offers a blissful, relaxed state of mind that can lead to increased creativity and intellectual stimulation. Master Kush is known to relieve stress and anxiety and is an excellent strain for evening use.Continue Reading Below
Bubba Kush
Bubba Kush is another popular Kush strain that is believed to ascended from OG Kush and an unnamed Northern Lights plant from New Orleans. Bubba Kush is an indica classic, famous for the deeply stoned and sleepy sedative effects associated with most true indica strains. Couchlock isn’t just common, it should be expected. Bubba Kush is a descendent of Kush that is best used in the evenings when all you have to do is relax, eat, and then sleep (extremely peacefully).
Skywalker OG
Skywalker OG (or Skywalker OG Kush) is a cross between Skywalker and OG Kush, a strain that offers an extremely heavy high that offers all the classic indica effects. Stoned, sleepy, and comfortably numb. If you’re having issues with your appetite, Skywalker OG is famous for intense munchies. Consider yourself forewarned. Not typically recommended for the beginning cannabis consumer, Skywalker OG is one of the stronger strains available, with THC counts that can regularly be found at 26% or more.
Purple Kush
Purple Kush was named a Top 10 Kush Strain by High Times in 2016. It’s a cross between Hindu Kush and a purple variety of Afghani. Purple Kush is 100% indica and will leave users feeling perfectly relaxed almost immediately. It’s not considered a strain to use when you’re looking for focus and concentration but is perfect for when you want to zone out and feel blissfully content with your surroundings. Purple Kush is an awesome strain for relieving insomnia and is often used medically for pain, anxiety, and depression.
About Hindu Kush
One of the original landrace strains that precipitated the popularization of cannabis throughout the world, Hindu Kush is a potent pure indica. It is indigenous to the Hindu Kush mountain chain that forms the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The meaning of the word “Kush” is disputed, and has been traced back to a Persian term for “Hindu killer” (in reference to the danger of crossing the inhospitable mountains) as well as to Avestan words meaning simply “water mountain.” In any case, Kush has become a byword for weed and is often used a suffix in the names of different strains, regardless of whether those strains have Hindu Kush in their lineage.
Seeds of Hindu Kush — along with seeds of other Asian landrace varieties like Afghani – were brought to the U.S. in the 1960s and 70s by cannabis enthusiasts and explorers who traveled along a route that has come to be known as the “hippie trail.” In time, Hindu Kush has, perhaps inevitably, been crossed with other strains to allow for stability and adaptation to a radically different climate than its mountainous point of origin; as such, “true” Hindu Kush may not be widely available in the Western Hemisphere. Nevertheless, Hindu Kush is a relatively pure strain, simpler and often more potent that the novelty crossbreeds that continue to multiply in today’s competitive cannabis market. It is prized for its heavily sedative, almost narcotic properties and its highly resinous flowers. The THC composition of Hindu Kush is typically measured at between 15% and 20%.
Hindu Kush is marked by large, clustered green buds that adhere due to their incredibly sticky consistency. Some phenotypes have shades of purple in the leaves, the result of high concentrations of plant pigments called anthocyanins being activated by cold weather during the vegetative stage. The densely-packed flowers are famous for their resin (Hindu Kush may have been one of the first strains used to produce hash) and have a heavy coating of silver-white trichomes. The aroma of this strain is very complex, with a simultaneously sweet and musky scent, redolent of spice, sandalwood, pine, and wet earth. The musky odor intensifies when flowers are combusted and smoked. The resulting smoke is harsh and cough-inducing; when exhaled, smoke tastes vaguely like pine. The overall flavor impression of Hindu Kush is one of incense and herbs.
