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Hookah (Shisha)
 Some
call it a Hookah, others a nargile (Lebanese), even a shisha(Egyptians).
This ancient water pipe has been used for centuries to smoke away
the day's stress, while relaxing with friends and relatives. Hookahs
are made for smoking specially prepared tobacco. The tobacco is
usually flavoured by soaking it in apple, apricot, strawberry juice
or even wine. If you put dry tobacco in it, your may suffer from
throat irritation.
The original water pipe came from India and was
made out of coconut shell. Its popularity spread to Iran and then
to the rest of the Arab world. But it was in Turkey that the Water
Pipe completed its revolution, and did not change its style for
the last few hundred years.
Unfortunately, the Water Pipe suffered a decline
with the availability of the cigarettes.
Smoking a Water Pipe gives you time to think thereby
teaches you patience and tolerance, and gives you an appreciation
of a good company. The Shisha smoke is noticeably cooler than cigarette
smoke, and lightly intoxicating. When one inhales on a Hookah, the
smoke is not only cool and flavourful but it actually tastes good,
and is not strong. It even smells good, like the scent of baking
apples over a wood fire.
The Water Pipe (shisha) consists of four parts
: the bottom part is made of glass where the water is contained.
This part is connected to a brass (sometimes stainless steel) figure
top which is the "the heart " of the shisha, this part,
the regulator, takes the smoke from the tobacco when the person
inhales from the the flexible tube which end by mouthpiece. The
whole apparatus is made of a variety of materials, like glass, brass,
gold, silver, wood or cane, and is richly decorated.
The water pipe tobacco is available in different
flavours like apple, strawberry, mixed fruit, aniseed and many other
flavours.
Tips & Tricks
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You can store your shisha tobacco at room temperature but it
must remain in an air tight container inorder to prevent your
tobacco from drying up and losing its flavour. Your shisha will
last well for long, If you could store your shisha in the refrigerator
in an airtight container.
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Placing some ice cubes in the base of your hookah and getting
the water ice cold before smoking, can make up for a mellower,
smoother and more enjoyable smoking experience.
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You may use liquid other than water on the hookah base. Experiment
with juice, wine and milk (to make the smoke thicker). You can
even try mixing lemon juice, orange juice, or some other flavour
into the water in your glass base to enhance the taste of your
hookah smoking experience. Combining shisha with honey can provide
satisfying hookah smoke. You can even Squeeze a lemon or lime
in the summer.
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Shisha tends to clump up because of it's consistency. So before
you pack the bowl, do not forget to crumble it up in your fingers
to spread it out throughout the bowl.
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When you get the bowl packed, take a small square of aluminum
foil, big enough to cover the open top of the bowl. Wrap this
foil over the top of the bowl so that the surface is tight (make
sure the shiney side is facing down so that it retains more heat
from the charcoal). Use a slightly pointed material like a toothpic
or something else very small to poke a bunch of tiny holes in
the foil. Place the charcoal on the foil once its lit. This will
still burn the shisha, but will keep any charcoal taste out.
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Once you're done poking holes in the foil, cover the top of
the bowl with the palm of your hand and blow through the bottom
of the bowl, then release your hand and blow just a little longer.
This will prevent any shisha from getting into the holes of the
bowl and make your hookah pull better.
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Combining different flavours of shisha can be very satisfying.
Banana and strawberry is very good, so is lemon and mango. Mint
mixed with other flavours provides for a cool refreshing taste.
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Always blow out the smoke that collects in the base every once
in a while so that you get rid of some of the harsh flavour from
the stale smoke.
( Courtesy : Shishah Times )
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