Smoking Culture, the Hookah and Hookah Lounges
The Hookah is a water pipe of Indian origin, which was popularized by the Turks and eventually made its way throughout the middle-east and Asia (or the old Persian empire). It’s been given countless names over the centuries: Narghile, Hookah, Shisha, Qualyan, Ghalyoun, just to name a few. No matter what it’s known by, it always consists of the same four main parts: The bowl, or chamber to place the tobacco; The shaft, the most ornate part, which transfers the smoke from the bowl; The base, often made of glass which is sometimes painted for Decoration; and The hose, which is how the smoke finally makes it to the user. Hookahs are usually highly decorated and can be quite beautiful. Often times if someone owns a hookah, they will leave it assembled in a public room such as the living room or den so it’s displayed for their guests. The pipe itself can range from less than a foot to seven feet tall, but no matter what the size they are guaranteed to impress.
So How does it work?
The Hookah is known for giving an extremely mellow and pleasant smoke. It accomplishes this by indirect heat. In most pipes, the tobacco itself is exposed to direct flame, from a match or a lighter, and burns hot; Whereas in a hookah, the tobacco is gently heated from above by hot coals on each draw. The process of one puff looks like this: When a person takes a puff off a hookah hose, they’re pulling air from the base of the hookah, this causes a dramatic loss in air pressure, which forces air from outside the pipe past the hot coals, and through the tobacco, drawing heat into the tobacco and smoke out of it, the smoke continues down the shaft and into the stem which drives it under water, where it bubbles up into the base, leaving behind some residues, contaminates and other things that may cause a harsh taste, the smoke is then drawn out of the base through the hose where it is enjoyed by the hookah enthusiast on the other end. The spectacle of a hookah in operation is truly enjoyable, even if you’re not smoking it. The pipe sits majestically, a thin wisp of smoke rising from the coal sitting on top, and then someone takes a draw and it goes into action, the coals turn bright red and the smoke disappears, the base begins to bubble with thick smoke, and the hose is filled with Thick, flavorful Shisha smoke.
That sounds like fun, but what is Shisha?
Shisha is the word that most people use to refer to the rich, sweet, flavored tobacco that is smoked in hookahs. However, Tobacco is not the only ingredient. Shisha is often composed of a high-grade Turkish tobacco, wetted with a touch of either honey or molasses, and flavored with dried fruits or fruit juice. It comes in all sorts of flavors ranging from Double apple, to cherry, pineapple, banana, mint, and even Cola! Because it is slightly moist and contains fruit and flavorings, it must be stored in an airtight container to prevent it from drying out. Immediately some people imagine the smell of burning sugar, which is in no way an appetizing aroma, but one must remember that the tobacco never touches fire, but is gently heated just enough to release the tobacco smoke; This prevents the molasses from caramelizing. Shisha smoke is very sweet and very smooth, and the flavor is surprising pronounced, an apple shisha tastes like apple and a Cola shisha tastes like cola. This variety and quality are a large part of what draws people to the hookah.
I’m Sold, But where will I ever find a Hookah?
Many People who smoke a hookah regularly, don’t even own a hookah. And although some people view cleaning and assembling their pipe as part of the ritual of smoking, many people see the maintenance required to keep a clean and operational hookah as daunting and bothersome. Luckily, hookahs are enjoying a rising popularity in the United States and Europe, with hookah lounges popping up near most colleges and universities. These Lounges or “Hookah Bars” is really “happening” right now, and are frequented by everyone from college students to general smoking enthusiasts. People often go in groups, making a day of it, but it’s not uncommon to find a person puffing away on their own hookah, while enjoying a cup of dark coffee or writing a paper or just soaking in the atmosphere.
So what is the ‘atmosphere’ in a Hookah bar?
Most hookah bars are very laid-back establishments. They often serve coffee or other drinks along with shisha tobacco. They can be completely lounge style, filled wall to wall with couches and plush chairs; or half-and-half, With some lounge-style seating and some restaurant style tables and chairs. They usually play really cool, relaxing music and the light chatter of conversation can often be heard all around as people converse and socialize over a bowl of shisha. The lights can be low or off to allow natural light from the windows in. Most Lounges are relatively small, although a few very large, club-style hookah bars are popping up in big cities. Going to a hookah bar is just like going to a restaurant, a server presents the menu, which lists all of the flavors of shisha tobacco they offer. The tobacco is selected from the menu and a hookah is brought to the table and prepared, the server often packs the bowl and brings a lit coal to the table, placing it atop the hookah and will help you, if you’re new to the experience, to get it smoking.
Is there a way I should act in a Hookah Bar?
Like I said, Hookah Bars and Lounges are laid-back establishments, but there are a few rules that should be observed whenever attending a hookah bar. Obviously, you should have the same manners as you would when eating out or attending a coffee shop, keep your voice down and be polite, don’t hassle the waiter and don’t bother other the people around you. Some other rules that might not be obvious actually spring form years of tradition in the middle-east, and is more etiquette than rules, these are as follows: 1) Never, ever, light a cigarette off the coals, this is considered very disrespectful. In fact, look around for an ashtray, if you don’t see one, they may not allow cigarette smoking in the bar, please respect their rules on this subject. And remember, the tray on the hookah is to be used for hot coals only, never place cigar or cigarette ashes in the tray. 2) Do not smoke the hookah or hold the hose with your left hand, the left hand is considered unclean in many countries. 3) Many hookahs have multiple hoses, but it is not uncommon for a group to smoke a hookah with a single hose, just remember when passing the hose that you should lay it down on the table and allow the next person who wants it to pick it up, if the hose must be passed in the air, hand it to the next person with the mouthpiece facing towards yourself. If the hookah doesn’t rotate on its own, rotate the base of the hookah in order to prevent tipping. If you are all using your own mouthtips, remove yours before passing the hose, if not then try not to slobber on the tip, this is an experience not unlike being handed a soggy cigarette. In some countries it is customary to hold the mouthtip above the coals of the hookah and let it sit in the smoke for a moment before smoking, it is believed that the smoke and heat from the coals cleanses the mouthtip, whether it does or not, it is still a nice Gesture. Remember, however, that many tips these days are disposable plastic and getting it too close to the coals can melt it, so be careful. 4) Never blow smoke in someone’s direction, this is considered extremely disrespectful. And finally, 5) Hookah’s belong on the ground, do not place the hookah on the table or any elevation if possible. This prevents nasty accidents and also takes the emphasis off the hookah itself. If you follow all of these guidelines it will assure that everyone in your party has an enjoyable experience.
