What is a hookah?

A shisha is a water pipe with which tobacco is often smoked with different flavors, such as various fruit flavors. The hookah has an Arabian origin and enjoys worldwide popularity today. More and more adults and young people see in the hookah a healthier alternative to the cigarette. That is why they are an integral part of good service in some restaurants, so-called hookah bars.

Historical about the hookah

The origins of shisha are found in India. Presumably, she was there from a bamboo stick, which was put into a coconut. From the 16th century, however, the hookah also reached the Ottomans, which made them part of the culture. In the years that followed, it continued to expand and reach countries such as Iran.
Shisha has become a part of life in all areas of spread. Smoking was considered a symbol of hospitality.
In the twentieth century, shisha was finally exported through Turkey to the western world, where it was quickly accepted as an alternative to conventional smoking.

The construction of a hookah

The structure of a shisha corresponds to a chemical wash bottle. It usually consists of four different parts: a vessel, a tube, a pot and a column of smoke.
The vessel is made of glass, acrylicor metal and is usually decorated with lush ornaments. On the vessel, the smoke column is put, which is usually made of metal, which was coated with Crom or brass. There are different numbers of connections on the column of smoke (depending on the model) to which the hose is attached.
Finally, at the upper end of the smoke column is the plate.
The total size of a hookah depends on the model. In a shisha cafe, the size is usually between 60 to 90 centimeters.

Required utensils

In addition to a hookah, hookah coal and hookah tobacco are needed.
Hookah tobacco is significantly wetter than traditional pipe and cigarette tobacco and is often provided with a fruity aroma.
The water pipe coal usually consists of normal charcoal, There are two different types: auto-igniting carbon tablets and natural carbon. Everyone has to decide for themselves what they like better.

The functioning of the hookah

When smoking shisha, the vessel is first filled with water. Thereafter, the column of smoke is placed on the vessel, which should be about 2 to 3 inches in the water. Then you fill the so-called tobacco head with special water pipe tobacco and covers it with a special sieve (usually included in the delivery) from. An alternative to the sieve is to cover the tobacco head with perforated aluminum foil.
Then a glowing piece of water pipe charcoal is placed on the sieve or on the aluminum foil. Accordingly, the liquid contained in the water pipe tobacco is heated and evaporated.
By pulling on the mouthpiece creates a negative pressure, which causes the water pipe tobacco rather steamed and not burned.
The long path of smoke through the column of smoke and the hose ensures that the smoke cools and thus gets more comfortable to the smoking person.
Another variant of smoking water pipes is to replace the water with alcoholic beverages, such as red wine or whiskey. It should be noted, however, that the alcohol passes through the inhalation directly into the blood of the smoking person.