The search for the best cannabis strains in the Bay Area.
Finding information on this strain was a fun challenge. Looking up the hashtag Maconga, the internet returned nothing but photos of smiling singles, adorable pets, and family cookouts. Only after repeating the word, over and over again, does the answer hit you like a dad joke.
Maconga…Ma-conga…Ma-con-ga…Macon-ga…Macon-GA,
better known as Macon, Georgia.
But buried deep within 160,000 photos of life in the city that gave us Otis Redding, Little Richard, and The Allman Brothers, are examples of some utterly fascinating cannabis, grown right here in California.
The in-house brand for Harborside dispensaries, KEY was created to showcase the most unique and exciting strains grown on their 47-acre Salinas Valley farm. Throughout 2020, releases of strains like Tropsanto, Wautomelon OG, and Apple Sherbert 51 have created a positive buzz for the brand, and Maconga is a perfect choice to build on this newfound reputation. No matter how you choose to say it, this strain is a rare find. Named by the Swampboys after their family roots in “the heart of Georgia.”
Established fifteen years ago, Swamp Boys seed company is the successful partnership of a pair of Florida growers who bonded over a shared passion for growing two select cannabis varieties, Triangle Kush and The White. Since then, they’ve expanded their portfolio to include over 50 successful strains, including this blended indica hybrid.
The tale of the tape on this strain is White Uchem (White x Ultimate Chem 8), crossed with their iconic mix of GMO (aka Garlic Cookies) and TK Skunk (Triangle Kush x Skunk 1). A truly versatile combo, their GMOxTKS has been the successful ingredient in such outstanding Swamp Boys creations as Banana Puddintaine, Cuban Linx, Shoki, and Layer Cake.
When I first opened the bag, the smell was an odorous funk, a sickly sweet combination less like overripened fruit, and more like old gasoline. After a little more curing, that mellowed into a peppery musk, with an undeniable seaweed flavor on the dry inhale. But if you pressed some in your fingers, that chemical-like sweetness came rushing back. Once you put flower to flame, a familiar burst of GMO lets you know where you’re at on the map, and while it burned a little hot, the smoke was overwhelmingly pleasant (not a cough your head off kind of strain).
Maconga will creep up on you. The body relaxes immediately, but the head is the last to go. By the time you’ve ground up the next joint, your brain is already starting to fade. The best thing to do is strap in, make sure your wallet and keys are safe, and order food. While this didn’t put me out on the couch, I lost all drive to finish work, make art, or do anything productive. All I wanted was a @deliboardsf sandwich and a steady supply of anime to swaddle me in flashing lights and giant monsters.
Photos by Michael Snyder
See also:
NorCal Grown: No Name By Wonderbrett
Map of Cannabis Dispensaries Now Open in the San Francisco Bay Area
