Shisha Smoking Is Trendy
Call it shisha or hookah or nargile, it is basically the same thing and is making waves in young social circles everywhere. What once used to be Middle Eastern or Persian territory has fast become the new cool thing to try out in the West.
Chances are you’ve come across people enjoying their shisha experience and you come to wonder how it has gained so much popularity and why? Shisha per se is smoking from a hookah which has a base, stem and pipes in which flavored tobacco burns from charcoal and is filtered through water. Passionate hookah lovers say that this new pastime of theirs is a great experience as it transports them, albeit temporarily, to a different place and for a few minutes at least they feel free from the worldly troubles that haunt most people today.
The Social Element
The other reason besides the actual smoking why shisha has climbed ranks in fame is that it is a thing people usually do together. Instead of joining friends for a drink at a bar, young urbanites and college students are gathering to have shisha together. Usually a big based hookah has three or more pipes and people take turns in smoking the shisha while they sit around and talk and just hang out. When one person has finished, he puts the pipe down for the next person to take over. The smoke fills the air and people love being enveloped in the fruity or other flavored tobacco they have chosen.
Shisha cafés surprisingly are still allowed even in cities with smoking bans. Although some residents do complain about noise and late hours, it is absolutely legal to operate a shisha establishment as people who patronize the place know what they are coming in for. Many cafés however have rules that no one under 18 is allowed.
The Shisha Difference
Shisha or hookah tobacco that is used in the base of the hookah is made from tobacco leaves just like cigarettes. The difference being that it is not rolled in paper but burned by charcoal and then filtered through water. However, shisha enthusiasts have experimented with different beverages instead of water such as milk with honey or even wine and have found he to be – well, intoxicating in more than one sense of the word.
If you tried the shisha at a café or at a friends place and are considering buying a hookah, there are a few other supplies you’ll need to get started. You’ll need the hookah ‘hardware’ or fixed components that you’ll need to buy once such as a base, stem and pipes. Then you’ll need so-called hookah ‘software’ that you can experiment with different brands and then replenish your supply whenever the need arises. The latter category includes the actual tobacco, the charcoal, lighters and other accessories available if you want to heighten your experience.
Shisha component manufacturers and suppliers have also increased substantially over the past few years and now have a significant web presence. Consumers need not travel long distances to sample what a shisha is like. They can just go online and place an order; many shipments arrive fairly quickly and you can enjoy the shisha experience on your own or with friends pretty soon.