Wednesday, December 19, 2012

What Is a Hookah?

By John McCree


A hookah is a device used in smoking flavorful tobacco, allowing for purification of the smoke with a water basin prior to inhalation. The components of a hookah are relatively simple and straightforward, yet the art of constructing hookahs has been improved over centuries in the Middle East, and the best quality hookahs are still produced in this area.

Structure

The end of the body is submerged in a water jar through which the smoke produced by burning tobacco passes. The smoke comes out of the bottom of the body and is purified by the water and kept in air chamber over the water. Another positive side effect of the smoke passing through the water is that it is chilled to a temperature much more comfortable for the lungs. The hose is located on the top left section of the water jar. The size of the hose is generally more than a meter. When the smoker puffs on the hose, the purified smoke leaves the air chamber and is inhaled by the smoker from the hose. The end result is an extremely satisfying, fragrant, thick, and clean smoke exhaled by the smoker. Hookahs are usually smoked in group settings where the smokers can enjoy the company of their friends.

What Do You Inhale from a Hookah?

Traditionally hookahs are used to smoke shisha, which is flavored tobacco. Nowadays the following things are used to make shisha: tobacco, treacle (uncrystallized syrup produced in refining sugar), honey, sugar, molasses, glycerin, nicotine, dried fruit and distilled water.

Shisha flavors normally have a fruity base like Apple, Banana, or Mango. However offshoots of fruity flavors are now gaining popularity among the smokers and producers likewise. These flavors include Peaches 'n Cream or Banana split, and so on.

These days, there is a wide array of shisha flavors available. Unique flavors are produced because basically every ingredient can be combined in dried, tobacco, glycerin and sweetener.

Where Did Hookahs Originate From?

The term huqqa is an indian word, which is called "hookah" in English. Abul-Fath Gilani who was a Persian physician built the very first hookah in the 1500's. After growing occupied with the health risks of smoking, he designed a system where he passed the smoke with a water basin to be able to 'purify' it. But, it is said that even before he invented it, hookah existed in other parts of Persia. In any case, hookah began to gain popularity in the close by lands of Pakistan and Iran from where it arrived at Turkey and Lebanon. In turkey, the Turkish elite class swiftly grew fond of hookah and thereon it spread in to Lebanon, Syria and into areas of northern Africa. Now, it has become quite popular around the world.

As it journeyed from Persia to the rest of the globe, the hookah gained a lot of names.

Nargile (also pronounced Argilee) - Primarily used in Italy, Turkey and Israel

Narguile - used in Spain

Lula (or lulava) - used in Albania, Bosnia, Herzegovina

Sheesha - used in Morocco, Egypt, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia

Qalyan - used in Iran

Karim Khan - used in Russia, Belarus

Chillim - used in Afghanistan and Uzbekistan

Huqqa - used in India and Pakistan

Gudugudaa - used in Maldives

Marra Pipe - used in the UK

I Wish To Purchase a Hookah, Where Should I Go?

Just like a lot of consumer products these days, hookahs can be purchased in-person or online. Since the beginning of this century, the number of hookah shops and hookah bars in the U.S. has increased. People who live in the more populated urban areas can certainly find a hookah shop around them. In the Mediterranean nations and the Persian Gulf, hookahs have become a part of everyday life of the people. However, this isn't the case in the U.S.

If you are unable to locate a hookah shop or you like to shop from the convenience of your home then you can buy a hookah on the Internet.

What You Should Know About Health Hazards Before Beginning to Smoke Hookah?

The debate rages on about whether or not hookah smoking is less hazardous than cigarette smoking. People who are in favor of smoking hookah express that the smoke that comes from hookah is cleaner since it is purified through water and that the temperature of the smoke is also moderate. On the other hand, the people against hookah mention that it has all of the harmful and cancer causing chemicals found in cigarettes. Another factor is that a hookah session may last as long as 60 minutes and sometimes even longer while a cigarette goes for only 3-4 minutes. On the other hand hookah is not as addictive as cigarettes. People smoke hookah once in one week or bi weekly for fun while a cigarette smoker smokes cigarettes everyday, multiple times.




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