How to Smoke a Hookah Pipe

Hookah lounges have become very popular in college towns and other cities in the United States. Young and old gather in hookah lounges to enjoy music, conversation, Middle Eastern cuisine and to smoke a hookah pipe. Learning how to smoke a communal hookah pipe is very simple.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Disposable mouthpiece
• Hookah bar or lounge in your area

1. Head to a local hookah lounge, also known as a shisha cafe, in your area. Use your neighborhood yellow pages or an online hookah lounge directory to find a location near you.

2. Select a flavor or combination of flavors for your hookah. Flavored molasses or honey is added to the tobacco in the hookah pipe. You can choose from a variety of flavors--fruit flavors, such as apple, banana and strawberry, as well as chocolate and coffee are very popular.

3. Use a disposable mouthpiece. For hygiene reason, using a disposable mouthpiece in public hookah lounges is recommended.

4. Breathe deep breaths for the first few hits from the hookah pipe in order to allow the smoke to flow in the hookah and the charcoal to heat thoroughly.

5. Put ice in the base of your hookah to get the water very cold before smoking. This makes for a smoother smoking experience.

6. Smoke it like a cigar. If the smoke feels too strong for you, puff like a cigar rather than completely inhaling the smoke.

7. Do not hand the hookah pipe directly to another person. It is hookah etiquette to set the hookah pipe back on the table and let the next person pick it up when they are ready to smoke. Relax and enjoy the company and atmosphere at the hookah lounge.

Tips & Warnings

• Enjoy the overall experience of a hookah lounge by trying Middle Eastern cuisine.
• Do not feel pressured to smoke. If you enjoy the company and atmosphere of the hookah lounge but prefer not to smoke, then do not feel you have to do so.

[slavikv]

on 10/14/2009 Good etiquette suggestion, but article is somehow irrelevant. For Hookah Bar smoking experience, you only need to choose a flavored tobacco, the rest is done for you (i.e. "starting" hookah, water+ice in the base of hookah, or a mouthpiece (which is always provided)). I find directions on http://howtosmokehookah.com/how-to-set-up-smoke-hookah/ more relevant on how to smoke a hookah.