Badder, sugar, sauce, diamonds, crumble, rosin. Cannabis concentrates come in a lot of textures, and the names can feel like a dessert menu. The good news: once you know what each texture is and how it gets that way, the menu gets much easier to read. Here's a simple guide to every texture you'll come across, and where to find them at Local Roots.
Why do concentrates have different textures?
Most of a concentrate's texture comes from how it's finished after extraction. Whipping, stirring, gentle heat, cool resting and pressure each push the oil into a different form. Leave it still and it sets like glass. Whip it warm and it turns creamy. Let it rest and the cannabinoids crystallize into sugar, sauce or diamonds (ACS Laboratory).
Solventless concentrates take a different path. They start with the trichomes, the tiny resin glands on the flower, collected by sifting or by washing in ice water. Those can be enjoyed as kief or hash, or pressed into rosin.
Concentrate textures at a glance
| Texture | Looks and feels like | How it gets that way |
|---|---|---|
| Badder and budder | Creamy, like cake batter or frosting | Whipped while still warm |
| Sugar | Wet, sparkly granules | Cannabinoids crystallize as the extract rests |
| Sauce | Thick, sticky, often chunky liquid | THCA crystals in a terpene-rich liquid |
| Diamonds | Clear to white crystals | Nearly pure THCA crystallizes out of sauce |
| Shatter | Clear, glass-like sheet that snaps | Left undisturbed as it's finished |
| Wax | Soft, dense and opaque | Stirred and agitated, which adds air |
| Crumble | Dry and sandy, like a honeycomb | Purged longer at lower heat |
| Kief | Fine, golden-green powder | Trichomes sifted through screens |
| Bubble hash | Soft, compact hash | Trichomes washed off in ice water |
| Rosin | Glossy oil to whipped and opaque | Hash pressed with heat and pressure |
| RSO | Dark, thick oil | Whole-plant extract that keeps plant compounds |
Sources: ACS Laboratory, Ethos Cannabis, ExtraktLAB, Trim Leaf.
What is badder (and budder)?
Badder and budder are concentrates that have been whipped while still warm, which gives them a smooth, creamy texture, like cake batter or frosting. Budder tends to be a little firmer and badder a little softer, depending on how long it's whipped (ACS Laboratory).
At Local Roots: Nimbus Live Badder in strains like Dragons Glue, Lemon Mintz and Thai Berry Kush Cake, plus Nimbus Cured Badder.
What is sugar?
Sugar is a crystalline concentrate that looks like wet, sparkly sugar. It forms as the extract cools and rests, and the cannabinoids crystallize into small granules while the terpenes stay in the liquid around them (Ethos Cannabis).
What are sauce and diamonds?
Sauce and diamonds start out together. As an extract rests, THCA slowly crystallizes and separates from a terpene-rich liquid called sauce (ExtraktLAB). The crystals that grow are called diamonds, and they're made of nearly pure THCA.
Sauce is thick and sticky, sometimes chunky, with crystals sitting in the liquid (Ethos Cannabis). It's rich in terpenes, the compounds behind a strain's aroma and flavor. Diamonds are clear to white crystals that can be sold on their own, crushed into a fine powder, or kept in their sauce. Sold together, they're often called "diamonds and sauce."
At Local Roots: Nimbus THCA Diamond Dust Bowl Topper, a crushed-diamond powder made for sprinkling on a bowl, and RYTHM "Remix" pre-rolls infused with diamonds and kief. You'll also see "diamond" in vape names like Jeeter Liquid Diamonds and Nimbus Double Diamond. Our budtenders can tell you what each brand means by it.
What is shatter?
Shatter is a clear, amber, glass-like concentrate that snaps when you break it. It gets that look because it's left undisturbed while it's finished, so the molecules stay tightly lined up and set into a smooth sheet (ACS Laboratory).
What are wax and crumble?
Wax and crumble are what happen when the extract isn't left still. Stirring and agitating it adds air and breaks up the glassy structure, so wax comes out soft, dense and opaque. Crumble is purged longer at lower heat, which leaves it dry and sandy, like a honeycomb (ACS Laboratory).
At Local Roots: Dogwalkers "Show Dog" pre-rolls, infused with crumble, in singles and 5-packs.
Live vs cured: what's the difference?
"Live" and "cured" describe the starting plant, not the texture. Live concentrates are made from cannabis that was frozen fresh at harvest. Cured concentrates are made from cannabis that was dried and cured first (NuWu Cannabis).
Live concentrates are known for a flavor that tastes close to the living plant, and they're often lighter in color. Cured concentrates often have a deeper color and are made in a wide range of flavors (NuWu Cannabis). Any texture can be live or cured, so you'll see labels like "live badder" and "cured badder."
At Local Roots: Nimbus makes both Live Badder and Cured Badder, an easy way to taste the difference side by side.
Solventless textures: kief, bubble hash and rosin
Solventless concentrates are made without any solvents, just screens, ice water, heat and pressure.
- Kief is a fine, golden-green powder made of loose trichomes, the resin glands that come off the flower (ACS Laboratory).
- Bubble hash, also called ice water hash, is made by washing cannabis in ice water. The cold stiffens the trichomes so they break off, and they're filtered through a series of mesh bags to collect different grades of hash (Trim Leaf).
- Rosin is made by pressing hash with low heat and pressure. Live rosin can range from glossy and translucent to opaque and whipped (ACS Laboratory). Top grades of ice water hash press into rosin clean enough to dab (Trim Leaf).
Want the full story on rosin? Read Live Rosin vs Live Resin vs Distillate.
At Local Roots: Nature's Heritage bubble hash (Lamb's Bread, Lilac Diesel, The Big Smooth); live rosin from U4EA Farms, U4EA Labs and Brown Bag; Local Roots Organic hash-infused pre-rolls; and RYTHM's kief-infused "Remix" pre-rolls.
What is RSO?
RSO, short for Rick Simpson Oil, is a dark, thick, whole-plant extract. Unlike more refined concentrates, it keeps more of the plant's natural compounds, including fats, waxes and chlorophyll (ACS Laboratory).
At Local Roots: Nature's Heritage 1:1 RSO oral syringe. Not sure what 1:1 means? See What Do Cannabis Ratios Mean?
Where can you find these textures at Local Roots?
Both our Fitchburg and Sturbridge stores carry concentrates in several textures and formats. Stock changes often, so check the live Fitchburg menu or Sturbridge menu.
| Texture | Where you'll find it |
|---|---|
| Badder (live and cured) | Nimbus |
| THCA diamonds | Nimbus Diamond Dust Bowl Topper; RYTHM "Remix" infused pre-rolls |
| Crumble | Dogwalkers "Show Dog" infused pre-rolls |
| Kief | RYTHM "Remix" infused pre-rolls |
| Bubble hash | Nature's Heritage; Local Roots Organic hash-infused pre-rolls |
| Live rosin | U4EA Farms, U4EA Labs, Brown Bag |
| RSO | Nature's Heritage 1:1 oral syringe |
Don't see a texture you're looking for? Ask a budtender. Our menus change often.
How do you choose a concentrate texture?
There's no wrong texture. It comes down to how you like to enjoy cannabis.
- No dab gear? Infused pre-rolls are an easy way to try crumble, diamonds, kief or hash.
- Like topping a bowl? Nimbus THCA Diamond Dust is made to sprinkle on top of a bowl.
- Love flavor? Look for live badder, sauce or live rosin, all known for big, true-to-the-strain taste.
- Prefer solventless? Choose bubble hash, kief or live rosin.
- New to concentrates? Start small, and ask a budtender to walk you through the label.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between badder and budder?
They're close cousins. Both are whipped while the extract is still warm, which gives them a creamy, frosting-like feel. Budder is usually a little firmer, and badder is a little softer and looser, depending on how long it was whipped.
What's the difference between sugar and sauce?
Both form when cannabinoids crystallize out of an extract. Sugar looks like wet, sparkly granules, like damp sugar. Sauce is a thick, sticky, terpene-rich liquid with THCA crystals sitting in it, so it's runnier and often chunky.
What are THCA diamonds?
THCA diamonds are crystals of nearly pure THCA that form as an extract rests and the cannabinoids separate from the terpene-rich sauce. They can be sold on their own, crushed into a powder to top a bowl, or kept together with their sauce.
What's the difference between shatter and wax?
Shatter and wax can start from the same extract. Shatter is left undisturbed as it's finished, so it sets into a clear, glass-like sheet that snaps. Wax is stirred and agitated, which adds air and turns it soft, dense and opaque.
What does "live" mean on a concentrate?
"Live" means the concentrate was made from cannabis that was frozen fresh at harvest instead of dried and cured first. Live concentrates are known for a flavor that tastes close to the living plant and are often lighter in color.
What's the difference between live and cured badder?
The texture is the same; the starting plant is different. Live badder is made from fresh-frozen cannabis, and cured badder is made from cannabis that was dried and cured first. Nimbus makes both, so you can taste them side by side.
Is hash rosin the same as bubble hash?
They're related. Bubble hash is the trichomes collected by washing cannabis in ice water. Hash rosin is what you get when that hash is pressed with heat and pressure into a smooth, dabbable oil. Neither uses solvents.
Does texture tell you how strong a concentrate is?
Texture mostly reflects how a concentrate was finished, so it's not a potency guide on its own. For strength, check the THC percentage on the label, and ask a budtender if you'd like help comparing.
For adults 21+ only. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. Keep cannabis away from children and pets.