A hookah is a water pipe intended for smoking flavored and sweetened tobacco. It is also known as narghile, argileh, or shisha. Hookahs are usually made of glass with two or more flexible stems used to draw the water-cooled smoke from the pipe.
Components of a Hookah
The Bowl
The bowl is the part of the hookah where the coal and tobacco are placed. It is usually made of coconut, clay, or marble. Inside the bowl, the coals are lit and placed on top of the perforated aluminum foil above the tobacco leaves. The perforated aluminum foil allows the charcoal to heat up the tobacco leaves without burning them.
The Hose
The hose is a tube where the smoke to be inhaled passes through. A mouthpiece is fitted on one of its ends and it is where the smoke is inhaled.
The Body and the Gasket
The body of a hookah comes in a tube form with one end fitted to the bowl. The middle section of the body passes through and is sealed in the gasket. The other end of the body is submerged up to a few centimeters in the water jar. There are holes passing through the gasket where the one end of the hose is placed.
The Water Jar
The water jar is the lower part of the hookah. It supports the whole structure of the hookah. Ehis is where the smoke passes through from the body tube. When the smoke enters the water jar, the water turns bubbly and this give the hookah its bubbling trademark. The water jar is where the smoke is cooled down and humidified before being inhaled.
Where did Hookah Come From?
Hookah pipes originated from India. The hookah was invented in the early 1600s by physician who assumed that passing the tobacco smoke through water before inhalation minimizes the health risks.
Through the years, several modifications have been made to make hookah smoking more enjoyable. Instead of plain tobacco leaves, smokers are now using flavored tobacco which makes the smoke sweeter.
How does a Hookah Work?
The water jar at the bottom of the hookah is filled with water until the bottom end of the body tube is submerged a couple of centimeters. Putting too much water will increase the inhalation force needed to use the hookah, so make sure the right amount of water is poured into it. Tobacco leaves are placed inside the bowl found on top of the hookah. The leaves are covered with a perforated foil and the coals are placed on top of it. The perforated foil is used to minimize the inhalation of coal ash and to prevent the tobacco leaves from getting burned.
When the smoke is inhaled from the mouthpiece, the hot air is pulled from the bowl holding the tobacco and the coals. The hot air passes down through the body tube up to the water jar. It bubbles the water in the water jar while the hot air lose its heat. The cooled down air fills the top part of the jar where the hose is attached.
Nowadays, hookahs are becoming popular and are now regarded as a unique way of socializing. Hookah lounges are established for patrons who smoke hookah as a group. Hookahs are available in a variety of flavored tobaccos for your smoking pleasure.