So the working day is over. Wanting to remove the accumulated fatigue, I leave the noisy center for a small coffee shop on the outskirts of the city.
My favorite place is free. Having comfortably settled down on soft pillows, I take out one and a half chervonets.
- Excuse me! One shisha, please!
The waiter brings the device, deftly spins a flexible hose wrapped around it and hands me a mouthpiece. After taking a few deep puffs, I enjoy an incomparable taste and aroma. Exhausting heat, coals slowly smolder; water gurgles thoughtfully in the flask. Blowing circles of thick whitish smoke (they slowly rise up, resembling a genie released from a magic lamp), I try tart Arabic coffee, jamming it with sweet halva and dates. Dimmed light combined with soft, slow music carries me into a flowery oriental tale ...
You still do not understand what a "shisha"? So called here hookah - an invariable attribute of those who want to relax. This pastime, which came to the UAE from Egypt, is dedicated to our story.
Opinions differ on the origin of the hookah, but some facts of its “biography” are still known. Initially, according to most scientists, hookah was invented either in India (where medicinal herbs and opium were smoked in this way), or in Persia, where cannabis was used with it. The first smoking devices were very simple in execution. Usually they were made from coconut shell, in which two holes were drilled. Although the merits of such a hookah may have been doubtful, its fame quickly spread throughout the Middle East.
Once in Turkey, the hookah was modified until it acquired the look we were used to. Despite all the differences in shapes and materials, almost all current devices consist of four main parts: a flask, which is filled with water, a barrel (metal pipe), an earthenware bowl where tobacco is laid, and a hose with a mouthpiece.
Hookah is traditionally smoked in the company. Behind the Peace Pipe, the long-bearded fathers of families slowly discussed political and religious issues, talked about everyday life. Coffee houses and teahouses where shisha was served were the main sources of news: smokers exchanged them, quenching thirst and sipping tobacco. If a guest was offered to smoke a hookah together, this meant a lot of trust, and a refusal could be perceived as a serious insult. And today it is customary to enjoy “shisha” in the company of good friends.
Currently, throughout the Arab world, hookah is almost more popular than ever. This is especially noticeable during the month of Ramadan, when Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. With the onset of darkness, tents are set up near many hotels and restaurants where hungry Arabs come to eat, smoke a hookah and chat with each other. Some at the same time listen to music, play cards, backgammon or other board games.
The use of "shisha" is not comparable to cigarette smoking. Passing through water, the smoke cools and moistens; The special properties of tobacco make it fragrant. However, it is useless to talk about sensations from a hookah: you need to try it. In Dubai, you can find hookah everywhere - in small cafes and in chic restaurants of five-star hotels. Coming to the East and not smoking a hookah is like going to Spain and not going to the bullfight. There is no better way to get to know an Arab country and touch its history.
But remember: smoking a hookah is an ancient custom that over the years has developed into a certain ritual. Although most establishments do not have strict rules (with the exception of the ban on smoking of persons under 18 years of age), you should still know the basic principles of this tradition and show respect for it.
Never place the device on a table or on a significant elevation - this is considered disrespectful. It is traditionally located on the floor, including for safety reasons.
If several people smoke one hookah, do not hand the mouthpiece from hand to hand. Put it on the table as a sign that you have finished smoking - it’s your neighbor’s turn. Although cigarettes can be smoked at the same time as "shisha", never light them from coal, which is used to light a hookah. Extraneous smoke violates the aroma of tobacco and can ruin the whole impression of it. For smoking a hookah, practically smokeless (and tasteless) charcoal is traditionally used.
Do not put tobacco in any bowl - there are special varieties for this. In addition to fresh tobacco leaves, the dried pulp of the fruit, seasoned with molasses and sometimes honey, is added to the mixture. Tobacco for "shisha" has a huge variety of flavors, including apple, apricot, strawberries, mint, cherries, grapes ... The list goes on for a long time - everyone will find a taste for themselves.
Do not exhale smoke in front of another person if you can smell tobacco in a different way. Never use one plastic mouthpiece for two: this is against the rules of hygiene. When you have finished smoking a hookah, wrap a hose with a mouthpiece around a metal barrel.
If, visiting an Arab country, you want to bring some souvenir to your friends, buy a “shisha” without hesitation. Firstly, the hookah is beautiful in itself and creates the “oriental flavor” as well as possible. Secondly, your friends will no longer say that you have "not brought a damn thing" to them.
The fashion for smoking hookah did not pass by Russia. In the past few years, establishments have also appeared there, in which you can join the good eastern tradition. In almost any major city in this country, you can purchase the device itself and various types of tobacco for it. Therefore, I hasten to give advice on how to use homemade hookah.
- Fill a glass flask with water. Make sure that it is not too much. The water level should be approximately 4-5 cm above the end of the metal pipe - it should be completely lowered into the water.
- Connect the hookah barrel and the glass flask. Make sure that this connection is tight and tight. Between the glass bulb and the top of the apparatus should be a rubber gasket.
- Put a metal tray on the top end of the hookah.
- Place the ceramic bowl on top of the metal section. A second gasket made of plastic or rubber should be placed between the iron and ceramic parts.
- The hose mounting point with the barrel is also equipped with a gasket - the third in a row. Make sure the connection is firm.
- Check how tight your installation is. To do this, lean your hand against the top of the hookah and then draw air through the hose. Having done everything right, you should feel that your hand is attracted, and see bubbles in the water. If one of these two signs is not observed, it means that somewhere there is an air leak. Check all connections carefully to find the cause.
- If the hookah you have assembled is leakproof, proceed to the next step - tab tobacco. Place some of it in the bowl so that it does not rise above its edges. Make sure that the tobacco is not too tight and breathable. Then cut square or round pieces of foil (twice the diameter of the bowl), pull the foil onto the bell and bend it around the edges. Then take a toothpick or other sharp object and make tiny holes in the foil over its entire surface.
- Light the charcoal, then place it on the foil with tongs. If you intend to smoke for a long time, coal should not be placed in the center of the bowl, but along the edges.
- Light a hookah, slightly pressing on the embers. You should feel the smoke in your mouth, and then, after several strong puffs, recognize the taste of perfumes. Be patient and let the charcoal heat the tobacco.
All is ready? Relax and have fun. But remember: the Ministry of Health warns ...
Dmitry Kuznetsov
