For those of you that have not been to a hookah bar yet, its definitely a fun time if you got the right place to go.  Hookahs have been used to smoke herbal fruits for hundreds of years.  Hookahs originated from India but has gained popularity among most European and Middle Eastern countries and has even began to gain popularity in Japan and the U.S.  Hookahs were designed by using water filtration of smoke to cool or sooth the experience.  Earlier Hookahs were made from coconuts and tubing.  Todays hookahs can be hand made and run up to hundreds of dollars. 


Hookah development

Hookah bars have caught a bad rap because most people associate hookahs with drugs, which is a misconception.  Yes some older cultures did use Hookahs to smoke Opium and Heroin but that is not the intended use of the item.  Most people still today smoke the traditional herbs and even flavored tobacco.  But the stereotype still gives the Hookah a bad reputation.


Hookah Tobacco flavors from Sultan Tobacco Company

There are so many brand and flavors of Hookah tobacco to choose from.  I personally like the Sultan Tobacco company.  They have all sorts of flavors to fit your tastes.  Some of my favorites are Egyptian Pharos, Abu-Samra and Green Apple.  The Egyptian Pharos has this great nutty smell and flavor and the Abu-Samra is a mixture of 13 different flavors and has a great combinations of different sensations. 


Hookah Case

Mine came with this great case.  It came with all the essential hookah tools that you need.  Like the coal thongs and hookah poker.  Some hookahs are really cool and are even hand made and painted like this one. 
You can also have them up as a piece of art in my opinion.  They actually look pretty cool and you can get them in all shapes, colors and sizes.


Hand painted Hookah

This particular one cost around $350 but can get much cheaper ones without all the hand painted designs or removable parts.  Although, I suggest getting one that does have removable parts like this one.  You can unscrew most of the pieces on this Hookah for easy cleaning which is a huge plus.  The hand painted craftsmanship was definitely a factor as well.

Packing the Hookah is not a easy task.  You have to get the right technique for your Hookah, which is different with all the models and brands of tobaccos that you can use.  Some tobacco is more wet then others.  For those of you that use the wet flavored tobaccos.  I would suggest flipping your container upside down every now and then because the top will tend to get a lil dry if kept too long in one position.  When packing (wet) tobacco into the bowl, don't put too much in there nor pack the tobacco in there too tight.  Fill the bowl and then gently pack the tobacco and cover with tinfoil.  Then use a poker to poke through the tinfoil and pierce through the tobacco as well to create an airway.  Place the hot coal on top of the tinfoil and you are ready to rock.



The reason that I got mine is because of this great Hookah bar I go to in NYC called Lesouk.  Great place to go for listening to great music, atmosphere and good Moroccan food.  And of course Hookah's as well.  I would suggest going there on a Sunday or a Monday.  The Sunday house party has been the hottest Sunday party in NYC and has been propelled by Dj's Gaby and Jason of Astro & Glyde (bedrock) and Jason Swamy.  They have been rocking out the Sunday party at LeSouk since 2002.  I will have to write up a more in depth article about this places some other time.