First of all, I am not encouraging people to smoke because tobacco is addictive and bad for your health. However, smoking shisha (Hooka) is part of the culture in many Middle Eastern countries and Asia.
The interesting origins of Hooka or Shisha (it has many other names) come from ancient times in Persia and India in the 1500s and later to the Middle Eastern countries. In the early 1800’s it was introduced to Egypt and Shisha’s cafes started spreading becoming really popular.
Smoking Shisha is smoking tobacco in a water pipe through a hose. The tobacco is available in different flavors that seem to be quite popular such as apple, orange, grape, mint, lime, berries, chocolate you name it.
Here we have an Egyptian lady showing how to get the shisha ready to smoke.
First, separate the stem and glass base and then fill out the base with water. The bottom of the stem should not be submerged. Then reattach the base to the stem and attach the hose of the hooka snuggly. Put the tobacco into the tobacco bowls and place and cover the bowl with foil paper. Put some small holes on the foil and heat the coal. Once the coal is heated you place it on the foil paper.
The tobacco is heated with a charcoal briquette that is put on top of the tobacco on foil paper. The tobacco used, Ma’assel (or Mu’assel) are tobacco leaves that are shredded especially to be used on a water pipe.
Well, I am not a shisha smoker but anything that means culture and tradition spark my interest.
The origin of Shisha smoking was only for older males. We have gone a long way baby!
Smoking Shisha is a bit like drinking mate (see mate) in that it is done in groups of friends and family and it is centered around conversation. It is a cultural habit that and you pass it around, a way to show hospitality. Obviously now with the outbreak of the global Pandemic, the passing around the hookah, using the same straw or mouthpiece (even with a disposable mouthpiece) is not acceptable. Actually, most of the Shisha places were closed during the Pandemic but people yet took their own hookah to the beach or favorite cafe. I have seen them giving you a disposable mouthpiece but yet not a very good idea to share it.
There are currently Shisha smoking lounges all around the world even though smoking is hazardous for your health.
Bosy is a pro and she was a lot of fun to hang around.
