Many people choose to smoke weed in Amsterdam — but forget about the great, mellow alternative: hash.
Hashish is not as popular in the Netherlands as weed is, but as its THC-infused cousin, it’s definitely worth the try.
Milder and more refined as a high, hash is well-suited for your daily activities.
We took a ‘trip’ to Amsterdam to look for the best coffeeshops out there to get hash from, and the best possible strains.
But before we get to that, let’s find out more about hash in the Netherlands and what’s up with it.
What is hash exactly and how is it made?
For starters, hash is made from the cannabis plant, but it’s obtained through a different process than weed.
For weed, you dry out the plant, and take the savoury buds, gleaming with pollen full of THC.
To get hash, however, there are several methods used to get the famous brown block.
For example, the Morrocan method uses a sieve to sift out the pollen from the dry bulb. This process is then repeated over and over with more and more pressure and finer sieves until the product that emerges at the end is the famous block hashish.
There are many different methods, some traditional and some of the DIY, at-home variety.
But first, a quick reminder: like any substance, hash needs to be consumed responsibly and with care. Be mature about it, consume it in moderation, and have a good trip!
The best coffeeshops in Amsterdam to buy hash
Now you know how hash is made, you’re probably wondering where you can snag some. On the one hand, Amsterdam is full of coffeeshops — but on the other hand, they’re not all of the same quality.
On our trip around Amsterdam, we hunted down the best coffeeshops in Amsterdam to buy hash. Here are our top picks!
Coffeeshop Boerejongens: elegant, upper-class, and high quality
☘️ Strain: Fat Kid (Sativa)
This wonderful hash will give you a relaxing high, but with the cerebral activity and boost of a Sativa strain.
It’s well suited for all sorts of creative activities, so if you’re feeling like drawing or playing some music, this strain is the one to go.
It has a strong and earthy hashish flavour, sure to give you a classic vibe. It’s not harsh either, as some hash tends to be, so expect a smooth experience smoking this fat kid.
You can get this strain from Coffeeshop Boerejongens Sloterdijk. The location is luxurious and the staff are knowledgeable and quick to help (as well as elegantly dressed).
There are three Boerejongens coffeeshops in Amsterdam, all of them clean and pleasant to visit.
💨 Type of high:mild, cerebral
📍 Where to get it: Coffeeshop Boerejongens Sloterdijk, Humberweg 2, 1043 AC Amsterdam
The Corner: a quick stop for a chill time
☘️ Strain: Kosher Tangiblock Static Hash (hybrid)
The next stop is a gezellig corner coffeeshop, The Corner.
Mixed from kosher and kush strains, the Kosher Tangiblock Static Hash is a Morrocan classic, obtained through the process of static electricity (fancy!).
This is spicy-tasting hashish, with a strong earthy flavour. It will give you a strong head high, so don’t go too overboard when rolling it unless you want to struggle to raise your hand to get some water for your (very) dry mouth.
You can get this strain from the coffeeshop The Corner. It’s a small shop, but good for pick-ups and clean and sparkling as well.
💨 Type of high:strong head high
📍 Where to get it: The Corner, Spaarndammerdijk 9, 1013 ZM Amsterdam
The Tweede Kamer: joining the upper class
☘️ Strain: Fat Kid’s Cake Block (mostly Sativa)
Our next stop is at the Tweede Kamer. No silly, not in The Hague (although, you wonder what they are smoking there sometimes), but the coffeeshop in Amsterdam!
The Fat Kid makes a reappearance on the list, but worry not, it is different from the other Fat Kid at Boerenjongens.
This strong hash has an interesting flavour, as it has less of the earthy taste that hashish usually has, and has a strong green and fresh flavour and smell.
This strain is also a knockout, so smoke in moderation and you should reach the sweet spot of your high-ness.
You can find this strain at the Coffeeshop Tweede Kamer. Tweede Kamer is not only a great coffeeshop for hashish but also a beautiful venue in a historic building and one of the best coffeeshops in Amsterdam centre for your hash of choice.
💨 Type of high:strong, mental high
📍 Where to get it:Coffeeshop Tweede Kamer, Heisteeg 6, 1012 WC Amsterdam
Coffeeshop Amsterdam: for a Moroccan classic
☘️ Strain: Tbizla (mostly Sativa)
Next on the list is one of our favourite coffeeshops in Amsterdam. This Morrocan-bred hashish is well-suited for all sorts of creative activities.
It will give you a strong and uplifting high, and if used in moderation, you can go ahead and do all sorts of things while enjoying this strain.
It has a smooth and earthy taste, akin to other flavours on this list. Prepare to feel green despite its brown colouring!
You can find this strain in Coffeeshop Amsterdam, conveniently located on Haarlemmerstraat. This place is also a nice place to hang out and smoke, with great drinks, top dudes behind the counter, and killer general vibes.
💨 Type of high: medium strength, weed-like
📍 Where to get it: Coffeeshop Amsterdam, Haarlemmerstraat 44, 1013 ES Amsterdam
DNA Coffeeshop: a chocolate delight
☘️ Strain: White Choco Block
For our last visit, we’re heading to the south of Amsterdam. Here, we can find the white choco block, a great hashish strain that is the love child of Chocolope and White Russian, beautifully named the White Choco Block.
Surprise! It has a ring of chocolate to it. And some subtle flavour both sweet and spicy, nice and deep. It also tastes like a day at a festival in Amsterdam (you know why).
Coffeeshop DNA also sells some of the best edibles in Amsterdam and has some great ganja paraphernalia. We enjoyed a pistachio-flavoured spacecake there that was not only delicious but also took us on a wild high.
💨 Type of high:subtle high, cerebral
📍 Where to get it:Coffeeshop DNA, Achillesstraat 104, 1076 RH Amsterdam, Netherlands
These may be some of the top places to get hash in Amsterdam, but the list goes on! Here are some other strains of the best hash of Amsterdam.
Coffeeshop Johnny: for a Super Silver Haze Block
☘️ Strain: Super Silver Haze Block
It’s clean, fresh and near the famous central Nine Streets. Plus, if your mom is into good hash you can take her to Johnny!
Johnny teamed up with the good people from Amsterdam Genetics and together they bring you the Super Silver Haze Block.
The product is dark, citrusy and soft. The high is fun and happy (but strong), making for a good friend to take and smoke at a festival.
Voyagers Coffeeshop: have a crack at Green Crack Hash
☘️ Strain: Green Crack Hash
Take a voyage (sorry) to this shop east of the Damrak and get some of that Green Crack Hash. It’s affordable, nice and green, and gets you right where you want to be.
Eerste Hulp Coffeeshop: smoke up some Sour Diesel
☘️ Strain: Sour Diesel
The Eerste Hulp Coffeeshop is coming to your rescue if you are in need of some Diesel flavoured hash. Some smokers live for this particular strain and it’s much sought after.
Coffeeshop Katsu: forget about your problems with the Amnesia Block
☘️ Strain: Amnesia Block
Katsu is a top old-school coffeeshop in De Pijp. Good (psychedelic) vibes are found there, what you can also find there is some excellent Amnesia Block — a tasty dark Morrocan hash made from the amnesia plant.
The Stud: get fruity with Strawberry Banana Hash
☘️ Strain: Strawberry Banana
The name should say enough: you’re in for a relaxed time with some fruity flavours. Too bad it isn’t strawberry or banana looking.
History of hashish
As you might guess by now, hash doesn’t grow next to tulips and cheese (also, cheese doesn’t grow).
Hash has a long and rich history spanning millennia and many different cultures, from Indians and Nepalese to Egyptians and Moroccans.
No one is certain where it first emerged, but one thing is certain: hashish takes a special cultural role in several countries.
Hashish first arrived in Europe back in the 18th century, but back then it was more of a curiosity than a daily habit of people.
By the 19th century, however, hashish was widespread in certain literary circles throughout Europe.
Some famous French writers of the time, such as Victor Hugo, Baudelaire and Alexandre Dumas loved the sticky hash, and they all consumed it in a literary club called the Club des Hashischins. Using drugs to enhance creativity, anyone?
The international trade of hashish started later in the 20th century. Pakistan and Afghanistan used to be some of the major exporters of hashish, but after conflicts in the region, Morroco took over the international market.
They managed to maintain quasi-monopoly until around the ’90s, but Afghanistan is now considered the biggest producer of higher quality hashish.
That does not mean that Morrocan hashish isn’t still very popular, and many strains of hashish that you can get here in the Netherlands have their origins in Morroco.
Smoking hash compared to weed
Now, what does hashish give you that weed doesn’t? Well, first of all, they’re both going to get you high, that’s for sure.
The main difference is that hashish will give you a milder high than weed. While weed is prone to give you that heavy, hazy high, hashish is better suited for doing activities and not sitting on your couch.
Flavour is also a major difference, as hashish usually has a more earthy taste (although some hashes, depending on their quality, can be more similar in taste to weed).
Lastly, while hashish is generally milder than weed, hash has much more THC compressed in it, so don’t add too much hashish in the joint. Or do, if you want to get really, really baked.
Rolling hashish compared to weed
Prepping weed for a joint is straightforward. Using either a grinder or your own hands, you break it down into small pieces, mix (or not) with tobacco, roll, and voila, you made yourself a joint!
Hashish is a slightly different story, but do not worry, as it’s not (too) complicated.
Most hashish is quite solid and hard to break by hand. In order to prepare it for the joint, you need to heat it up a bit with the flame from a lighter. That will make it softer and easier to break.
Some hashish is already softer by default, so a lighter won’t be needed.
Once you heat it up, you can either put little crumbs of hashish in the joint or alternatively, you can make hash snakes.
What’s a hash snake, you may ask? Well, hash snakes (as called by me) are when you take a little bit of hashish and using your fingers, you mould it into a thin, snake-like figure.
Just think of it as playing with plasticine, but instead of playing as a child, you’re playing as an adult looking to get high after a long day of work.
If you do use the hash snake method, be careful when you ash, because you risk if you push too hard against the ashtray losing some of the contents of the joint.
Another thing to note is that, unlike weed, hashish will not burn on its own, so you need to add tobacco or some herb to make the joint burn.
Help! I want to know more about getting high but don’t know where to start
Maybe you’d like to know more about hash, weed and all other highness-related activities. If you’re around Amsterdam, we recommend a visit to the Coffeeshop Info Centre.
The knowledgeable staff can tell you all you need to know about getting high. Not only that but if you have curiosities about the legal status of hash/weed, this is the place to go!
What if you’re sceptical about hash and would like to try some alternatives? You can always check out edibles for a more culinary high experience, or give a try to the magic CBD oil supplied by SupMedi.
Have you tried any of these kinds of hash in Amsterdam on the list? What do you prefer more, hash or weed? Let us know in the comments!
Feature Image: Freepik