- Charas historical origins
- How you do it
- Malana cream
- How to use
Charas historical origins
The first time Charas was officially mentioned in scientific literature was in 1874 . It appeared in the “ Pharmagographia ,” a botanical reference book that cataloged plants and plant derivatives used in Victorian medicine .
It covered British matters, but also Indian matters whose colonies the English managed. This is the only reason why cannabis plants and its derivatives were present in the catalog.
An entire section is even dedicated to Charas. After all, it represented a very important and sacred substance for the majority of the Asian population, who had devised the production methodology and habitually consumed it in religious rituals , during ceremonies and to encourage meditation.
At the time, it was consumed exclusively in chilums and represented a crucial moment in some religious rituals practiced in several villages in India.
The habit of producing Charas then spread rapidly to Nepal, Afghanistan and Pakistan , however India has always claimed paternity, a bit like a Tuscan winemaker would do with his wine.
By the authors of the scientific manual "Pharmagographia", of which the colonialist spirit of the time must be taken into account, Charas was described as a disgusting and crude drug, the use of which was categorically excluded from civil medicine.
About a century later, around 1970, hashish had its well-deserved boom together with several historical cannabis strains such as Ak-47 or Amnesia .
In those years Charas was very widespread, to the point that Charas and hashish were even synonymous for a certain period . With the subsequent prohibitionist movement, Charas, together with other types of valuable smoke, seems to have almost disappeared from circulation, at least in Italy.
How you do it
Despite that not at all positive opinion on one of the best quality hashish produced in northern India, the authors of "Pharmacographica" were scrupulous enough to report exactly the production methodology , which is still the same today.
While many types of hashish, for example Moroccan hashish, are produced from cannabis plants that have previously been dried for a period, Charas is produced from the plant while it is still fresh.
Another important thing, specified by the manual, is that the cannabis plants intended for Charas cannot be just any industrial hemp plants, but must be grown at a certain altitude .
As regards the manufacturing process, we are talking about an ancient technique that has been used for thousands of years: the hand rubbing method.
The inflorescences are selected, collected and gently rubbed between the palms of the hands for a very long time . A shiny, brown, dark layer of resin will form on the palms of your hands.
At this point, collecting the resin from the palms with a scraper, we will obtain our soft Charas ball . Alternatively, just rub your fingers vigorously again and the charas will form automatically.
There is also a second method described by the manual. It consists of repeatedly walking among the cannabis plants with leather clothes , which, collecting the resin, do what the palms of the hands would do and it is from there that the hashish will then be scraped.
Interesting method in case we had expanses of plantations available, but not very convenient for home experiments.
As you may have guessed, the Charas production methodology is simple but the process can be very long. It can take up to eight or nine hours to produce seven or eight grams of smoke.
It is important to take all the time necessary, remember that the longer the rubbing time, the better the quality of the Charas will be.
It is essential , if we use the technique of rubbing the palms of the hands, to have very clean hands .
If in this period in which we have a little more time than usual, you would like to try making some legal hashish at home , pop over to our website.
You can take a look at our light cannabis varieties. Diva , for example, is a CBD (cannabidiol) inflorescence, grown at more than 300 meters high, perfect for experimenting with a small production of Charas.
If, however, you would like to try producing a Charas based on CBG (cannabigerol), a new cannabinoid rich in therapeutic properties, try Fatale . Grown at around 700 meters above sea level, it is a variety inspired by the best cannabis plants grown in the mountains of northern India.
Among those mountains and in the neighboring valleys, cannabis plants still grow free and luxuriant today.
Although, unlike then, today cannabis is illegal in India, there are villages where Charas is still used within religious rituals and to encourage meditation.
Places where time seems to have stood still and hashish produced from cannabis is made exactly as it was thousands of years ago.
But that's another story.
Malana cream
What is considered the best quality of Charas is an extremely soft and malleable smoke paste called Malana Cream.
Malana Cream can be in the shape of a sphere or an ovule. It is chestnut brown on the outside and very light brown on the inside . It is very easy to work with, has powerful psychotropic effects, relaxing and euphoric properties and an unmistakable, natural flavor.
It is a type of hashish produced by hand processing of cannabis plants that grow spontaneously in an Indian village called Malana .
As this article tells us well, it is an independent village, which has its own religion, its own language and its own social organization, different from those of the Indian government.
There are many legends about the inhabitants of Malana. For some they would be the descendants of the Jamlu Rishi , a local deity. Those who listened to others would be the heirs of Alexander the Great 's soldiers.
And again: Emperor Akbar arrived in Manala and there, thanks to the hashish produced by cannabis plants, he managed to heal from an illness and to thank the villagers, he decided to grant tax exemption and independence.
For many years this village remained suspended in time. While the rest of the world advanced towards modernity, Malana managed to remain autonomous for a long time by preserving its traditions and rituals , which are still alive today.
If until recently, exchanges and contacts with external cultures were practically nil, today Malana is a real magnet, attracting people from all over the world precisely because of the hashish that is produced.
Well, can it be visited? Certainly (maybe not in this period) but it is necessary to be cautious and respectful of the laws and traditions of the place . It can be easy to unknowingly break prohibitions; animals, for example, are considered sacred and cannot be touched.
Better to stay away from cannabis plants too, unless you are in an extremely protected condition.
In addition to local laws, it is important to look after your own safety. From the outside, Malana seems like a humble and safe village, but in reality the trafficking of the hashish produced generates great wealth but also many problems.
There have been several disappearances in Malana and many had to do with cannabis plants.
How to use
Charas and Malana Cream can be used in the same way and quite easily.
This type of hashish, unlike Moroccan hashish for example, does not need to be heated . It is so soft that it can be worked directly.
Here's how to work it: detach a small piece of Charas and roll it out with your fingers until it forms a thin thread .
At this point you will have several options:
- you can spread a carpet of chopped light cannabis on a piece of paper and place the Charas fillet on top.
- the fillet can be broken into very small pieces, then combined with light cannabis or tobacco and inserted into the appropriate chamber of a vaporizer.
- always chopped and well blended in a mix, it can be inserted into a chilum or a bong.
- it can also be inserted into a recipe, for example a cake like the classic Space Cake or biscuits.
Know that hashish produced from a still fresh plant is much more potent than that of other types of hashish , so remember to take it gradually and hydrate yourself with water and herbal teas. Another tip is to avoid using tobacco to prepare the mixture . Better to use cannabis light .
Among our flowers, all grown rigorously in a natural way, you can find different varieties with various gradations of CBD .
And for the more curious, also the brand new CBG-based inflorescences, which goes very well with Charas and Moroccan hashish.
Seeing is believing.
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