Friday, December 29, 2006

The Hookah

Hookah 101. (Or Sheesha - as the Iraqis call it).

Here's the base. Pictured behind is the little grill in which one lights and tends the coals to be used.


The top: The special, invariably flavored tobacco is packed inside this tiny ceramic bowl and a perforated sheet of foil is placed over it. The lit charcoal is placed on top of this with metal tongs. The disc as bottom sits atop the vase or water-bong portion to catch the falling embers and ash.

Nakhla Tobacco is a popular brand - and there it is - box and (full) bag. This stuff is wet. "Pickled tobacco" is more like it.


Strange flavors, but it inhales effortlessly, and cleanly - with absolutely no burning sensation. What you exhale evaporates almost instantly like freezer-fog, leaving a distinctly fruity (in this case green-apple) flavor in your mouth. Not entirely unpleasant.

3 comments:

whimsical brainpan said...

I've heard that it was a very pleasent smoke. I'd love to try it sometime.

Redroach said...

What I would give for a real live Hookah.

Time to start an import business

tv

skinnylittleblonde said...

In college, I was able to partake in a Persian(as he prefers to call himself) friends hookah. It had been his grand-fathers & was really a beautiful object. I don't remember our tabacco being too terrific (no, it wasn't the wacky stuff) but I do remember that he said it was dry. Interesting post & I'm glad that youo've been exposed to another part of the culture over there & sharing it with us.