A hookah is a type of water pipe used in herbal smoking. It consists of a vessel for holding water, through which the smoking material is filtered. A tube extending from the top of the vessel holds a small bowl containing a live coal, upon which the smoking material is placed. The tube extends down through the water. A separate mouthpiece connected to a flexible tube is attached to the side of the vessel. When the mouthpiece is inhaled, air pressure draws the smoke from the burning coal down through the water, filtering it.

Another term for hookah is shisha, which comes from Persia and means bottle or glass. Hookah pipes come in various styles, such as Syrian and Egyptian, the travelling hookah, mini and custom designed hookahs. A traditional hookah is made of blown glass and may be decorated with enamel or gold paint, silver, aluminium, brass, clay, porcelain, wood, carved stone, or leather. Some modern hookahs are made with materials such as stainless steel or plastic.

In some countries, smoking lounges and restaurants provide individually wrapped plastic mouthpieces for customers who want to smoke. There are also accessories for the hookah, such as metal tongs and special hookah charcoal that can burn for up to 30 minutes.

Certain etiquette applies when smoking a hookah. For example, the pipe must always be on the ground, not on a shelf or table. A hookah is not passed around; rather the mouthpiece is set down to allow other smokers to take a turn.

• RSS 2.0 |
• Leave a comment |
• Trackback |