Hindu Zkittlez strain: an old Kush landrace meets a modern cup winner

The Hindu Zkittlez strain crosses two very different plants: Hindu Kush, a landrace from the mountains along the Afghanistan and Pakistan border with a long history in hashish, and the original Zkittlez cut, the fruit-forward California strain that took the top flower prize at the 2016 Emerald Cup. Hype Cannabis Co. sells it as Hindu Zkittles, and its entry says the plant was picked out in a pheno hunt under the name Platinum Zkittlez. On menus you may see it shortened to Hindu Z.

Hype doesn’t publish tasting notes for the cross, so the best way to understand it is through its parents. Here’s where each comes from and how growers describe them.

Last reviewed: November 2026.

Hindu Zkittlez strain lineage

Hype’s entry is the only record we found for this cross. It names Hindu Kush, which it calls the “holy grail” landrace, and the original Zkittlez cut, and says the plant was selected in a pheno hunt under the name Platinum Zkittlez. The entry doesn’t say Hype ran that hunt itself. A pheno hunt means growing out many seeds from a cross and keeping the one plant with the traits you want, so the name points to one chosen plant rather than a seed line.

That makes Hindu Zkittlez a meeting of old and new: one parent shaped by generations of mountain farmers growing for hash, the other by California growers selecting for flavor. Kush lines from that region sit far back in many modern family trees. In this one it’s a direct parent.

Hindu Kush, the old-world parent

The Hindu Kush range runs along the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan, and its valleys and hillsides have a long history of cannabis and hashish production. Hindu Kush the strain is a selection from that mountain landrace, and it’s usually described as a classic indica.

Because it was kept for generations by farmers making hash, Hindu Kush is usually described as sweet and resinous rather than fruity. That’s how the parent is described, though, not a prediction of how any Hindu Zkittlez jar will smell.

Zkittlez, the fruit-forward parent

Zkittlez is the 2016 Emerald Cup winner: Humboldt County growers the Dookie Brothers took home the top flower prize with it, as Ganjapreneur reported, and that report credits the breeding to 3rd Gen Family and Terp Hogz. Cannabis Now traces it to a single garden at 3rd Gen Fam and describes a cross of “a primal grape-flavored strain and another local grapefruit-tasting strain, as well as likely something with fuel in it.”

Its aroma, per Cannabis Now, “isn’t loud like gasoline, but more thick and syrupy sweet,” and the flavor runs to orange and pine with a floral, fuel bite. The buds are dense and moderate in size, lime to medium green with reddish brown and gold pistils. It’s also a parent of Runtz.

Those are descriptions of the parents. Hype doesn’t publish tasting notes for Hindu Zkittlez itself, so how the cross smells is an open question that only the jar in front of you can answer.

Hindu Z, Hindu Skittles and Platinum Zkittlez

Hype uses Hindu Zkittles and Platinum Zkittlez for its flower, and shoppers search Hindu Z and Hindu Skittles. Hype’s two names point to its Hindu Kush and Zkittlez pairing; the shorthand spellings don’t guarantee the same plant. If a listing gives different parents, check the producer’s record. When you find a jar you like, note the producer and the exact menu name; with this many spellings around, that’s the easiest way to find the same flower again.

As of November 5, 2026, Vibe carried both parents in some form: Zkittlez flower at the Pigeon Pass, Sacramento and Stockton stores, and Hindu Kush prerolls at Sacramento and Stockton. Check your store’s menu for today’s stock.

Zkittlez is a name used in the cannabis trade. Skittles is a candy trademark of its owner, and neither this article nor Vibe is affiliated with or endorsed by the trademark owner.

Is Hindu Zkittlez indica or sativa?

Both parents lean indica: Hindu Kush is usually called a classic indica, and Cannabis Now calls Zkittlez a balanced indica hybrid. Hype doesn’t state a ratio for the cross. Effects vary from person to person, and a 2022 study of commercial flower in PLOS ONE found indica and sativa labels didn’t consistently match measured chemistry.

Potency belongs to each harvest, and none of these sources gives a THC figure for the cross. California flower labels show the tested total THC for that batch, as the DCC’s labeling checklist requires. Those numbers are more comparable than they used to be: since January 1, 2024, licensed labs have used one standardized cannabinoid method for dried flower and non-infused pre-rolls, according to DCC’s standard test method FAQ, so results from different labs are measured the same way. Start low, and talk to a doctor about medical questions. Pick your Vibe location to see today’s flower, or browse more profiles in the Learn hub.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• Hype Cannabis Co.: strain library, Hindu Zkittles
• Cannabis Now: Zkittlez
• Ganjapreneur: Humboldt County growers' strain named Emerald Cup's top flower (2016)
• PLOS ONE: phytochemical diversity of commercial cannabis
• DCC: flower labeling checklist
• DCC: standard cannabinoid test method FAQ

For adults 21+ (18+ with a physician’s recommendation in California). Keep out of reach of children and pets. Do not drive or operate machinery after use.