Today, if you walk along a Middle Eastern street at night, you might see friends hanging out and exhaling thick plumes of smoke — thanks to many bars and cafes that supply hookah. However, if you’re just starting out, there’s a lot you need to know about smoking shisha. Here are some vital things about hookah that you need to know.
Components Of Hookah
Most hookahs are made from glass materials, beginning from the vase to the non-penetrable base. However, the stem is often made from steel, and the hoses from plastic. Hookah’s tobacco bowls are made from an array of materials such as plastic, glass, metal, silicon and clay, or a mixture of all of them.
The coals of the hookah are from coconut shells, though some are made from bamboo or lemon trees. The quick lighting coals are created from dust that has other ingredients to accelerate lighting. Most smokers prefer shisha made from coconut coals because they’re from natural ingredients, burn longer and do not leave a foul odor. Additionally, they don’t have chemical substances that pose a health risk.
The tobacco used in making hookah is crafted from simple ingredients, and its quality depends on the shisha brand types. However, the most commonly used ingredients include dried and washed tobacco, molasses or honey, natural glycerine and fruit pulp.
Types Of Hookah
1. Traditional
There are three types of traditional hookahs, namely Egyptian, Syrian and Indian. These hookahs are created by skilled craftsmen and have different sizes, colors and shapes. The fact that they’re hand-made makes them different from each other. Most smokers prefer owning traditional hookah pipes because they’re true masterpieces and accentuate pleasure.
2. Glass
These hookahs are the improved versions of the traditional ones. They’re usually either molded or hand-blown. If you want to enjoy the taste of pure shisha smoke without background tastes, go for the glass hookahs. Unlike the traditional hookah pipes, glass hookahs can’t rust and flavor-ghost. If you happen to get into any bar, you’ll find them because they’re easy to clean and look elegant.
3. Pens
Hookah pens allow smoke to vaporize the liquid. They were created for smokers who don’t use tar, nicotine or tobacco. However, research has shown that some contain these components, though other schools of thought claim that it’s hard to pin down their chemical components because studies are still inconclusive.
Smoking a Hookah
Smoking hookah isn’t difficult: It’s actually very easy to learn. Shisha needs to be smoked properly to prevent it from impacting your health. Also, it isn’t smoked like a cigarette but inhaled steadily and slowly. To get a better experience, inhale the smoke slowly until your lungs are full, then exhale. You may feel a little bit dizzy depending on the amount of air you inhale, though this isn’t very common.
Inhaling it several times will feel pleasurable. The tobacco in shisha doesn’t pose health risks like affecting your brain. However, if you smoke tobacco with nicotine, it may have a negative impact on your health. Also, when smoking, ensure you don’t inhale too much or too fast because that’ll burn your tobacco.
To be a master shisha smoker, you need to know shisha’s components, its types, and how to smoke it.
