One of the questions we are most frequently asked is, “what kind of hookah should I get?” or “what is the best hookah?” There really isn’t right answer to this question but there are several wrong answers, depending on the person. So to best avoid disappointment, please allow me to point out a few of my personal favorite hookahs:

I smoke hookah every day at work; I keep an Egyptian Furat Hookah on my desk for flavor sampling because it is small, conspicuous, and the washable hose is super easy to clean. The Furat is my “9-5er” and a terrific hookah on a budget – the best hookah on the market for under $40 in my opinion. We also have a Mya Threepio Hookah in our office for meetings and group sessions. This hookah we nicknamed “Evel Knievel” because no matter how many times it gets knocked down, it still kicks ass! As a hookah designed for rowdy occasions, it can be converted to accommodate four hoses at once.

At home I have a Nammor Old School Hookah which is almost solely used for entertaining, and as such it is referred to as the “Party Hookah.” The Old School is perfect for parties due to its size, stability, and unique rotating action. By allowing the base to swivel, the hose is passed much easier and eliminates a large majority of hookah related accidents because it is no longer necessary to move the hookah when passing the hose.

The hookah I give most often as a gift is the Nammor Cleopatra Hookah. It has a classic design with a welded-on hose adapter making for an extremely wide opening at the hose port. With the Cleopatra Hookah you receive a Nammor Hookah Hose, which of course is washable and has the widest bore on the market. The awesome airflow, the classic look, and the famous hose make the Cleopatra Hookah my personal favorite, truly earning the title “Queen of the Nile.”

For people that are not confirmed hookah enthusiasts yet, I give the Mya Bambino Hookah. The Bambino is small but powerful, comes with a great case so it is convenient to travel with, and is, in fact, the best-selling hookah for around $60. It’s perfect for taking to friend’s hoses for gatherings large and small. The Bambino is “the Traveler.”

But if none of these hookahs are up to snuff for you, the one I can recommend is the Mya Gyro Hookah. The construction and attention to detail in design truly make it one of those one-of-a-kind, traffic stopping hookahs. If you are looking for a centerpiece for any room of your house, or really just want to blow away all your friends, this is the hookah for you. The Mya Gyro is sure to provide the appropriate “shock and awe,” which is my nickname for this gem.

Hookahs can be an important expression of your personality or they can be something you keep in a closet and pull out only special occasions. Either way if this list did not bring you any closer to making a decision please contact us or we will be happy to offer more tailored service. As always, Happy Smoking!

This one’s for the ladies.

When people hear I work for a website that sells hookahs there are two reactions. One: How can they get such an awesome job? Two: But you’re a girl. Girls don’t smoke hookahs. Right?

Not so. We of the female persuasion are just as skilled in the art of hookahry as any other smoker. I would venture to say we are just as skilled…and maybe a tad harder to please.

The first hookah I ever smoked was a boyfriend’s Old School Rotator Hookah with a cobra hose. That was a great hookah, but a little bulky for my taste. When it came time to get a hookah of my own I knew it needed to be easy to use (no fussing with rotator hubs for me), sleek in appearance, and it had to smoke better than his. One of my first hookahs ended up being a Nammor Cleopatra Hookah. Out-smoking an Old School is hard to do, but bumping the hose to a Nammor did the trick. The Cleopatra is tall, the shaft is filled with fine detailing, and the emerald green base is stunning. Since then I have added a Khalil Mamoon Red Pear Hookah with the flower base and a few Mya Hookahs to my collection, the QT, Petite, and Vortex. The carrying cases, cages, and boxes that come with most Mya hookahs definitely score points for ease of use.

While working here has afforded me the opportunity to work with a variety of hookahs, and to load a bowl or two, I know not everyone gets to do this as frequently. Over the past couple years I have spoken to quite a few customers who, while they loved smoking hookah, were not entirely comfortable with the processes of loading a bowl, tending hookah coals, or cleaning a hookah. As is often the case, the gentlemen we smoke with are kind enough to take care of these less than exciting tasks. While it’s a nice gesture it can add to the notion that we are less skilled or interested in the finer points of hookah smoking. It’s time to put that to rest. There are some good articles and videos online about hookah basics to help you get started, or if you’re already a seasoned hookahrist it’s time to flex that muscle.

At your next hookah gathering, break out your own hookah and favorite shisha, and load your friends the best bowl they have ever smoked – high heels optional.

 There are important stages of evolution in every person’s life where lessons learned allow you to take a giant step forward and live your life to greater fulfillment; getting your driver’s license, traveling abroad for the first time, learning a new language, riding a mechanical bull (ok, the last one may just be me). An important step in my hookah smoking evolution was the discovery of Coco Nara Natural Hookah Coals. In my genesis, I was seduced by the convenience of low-quality quick-lighting coals I would purchase at my local lounge. The taste of accelerant seemed to be a necessary evil, tolerated as there was no viable alternative in my limited scope. But after being surrounded by shisha junkies it was not long before the earth shifted on its axis and I was introduced to natural light, Coco Nara Hookah Charcoals. These coals burned far more evenly, with less heat (coals are like golf scores, less is more) and any trace of the taste of coal was absent. The difference was like drinking faucet water that had been filtered, if filtered faucet water tasted like angel’s tears. Right then and there I began to walk erect.

The one drawback of natural coals is they cannot be lit with a standard lighter; they need a more direct source of heat. The easiest way to light the coals is on a standard electric stove top, but unfortunately we do not have a stove in the office and I have a gas stove at home, so necessity being the mother of invention, we used this: the Single Coil Electric Hookah Charcoal Heater. All you need to do is plug it in, crank the heat up to eleven, place 2 or 3 natural coals on the coil, flip after 5 minutes and let them sit until the coals are a nice, ashy gray. I keep one under my desk at work and one next to the stove at home but they are light enough to carry in the pocket of your pants (if you shop at the same pants store as M.C. Hammer). Pants aside, the Hookah Charcoal Heater allows you light natural hookah charcoal just about everywhere and as a tool, it is close behind the wheel and fire in global impact.

I have a confession: I am a bit of a hookah nerd. You know that guy who hears someone whisper “hookah” from the other side of the room at a loud party and comes running over? That is me. I even carry around a hookah and a selection of shisha tobacco in my truck for those moments, ’cause everybody likes the guy that brings a hookah to the party. I should also confess that I like being that guy. I am what one person described as a “hookah ambassador” or a “master of hookahry.”

The role started out innocently enough. When I first started working here at Hookah-Shisha I spent a lot of time reading everything I could get my hands on about hookahs and the hookah culture. I smoked all the shisha I could get my hands on. I asked everybody I worked with questions until they tired of talking to me. Even after work hours I would find a way to work hookah into conversations just to get some practice explaining hookahs to my friends. Next thing I knew, people would approach me at parties asking me if I was the “hookah guy” with their questions about these crazy contraptions I had come to love. At one party in particular I found myself inviting a friend over to smoke with me some time and I realized that I was missing an opportunity. Inviting people over certainly let me share the hookah experience with them, but bringing one to a party let me share my passion with so many more people! I decided it was time to put some thought into the hookah and supplies that I wanted to carry with me… and now I would like to share them with you.

First, I choose the hookah itself. My desire was to have a hookah that had an impressive appearance, smoked well, and was easy to setup, clean and transport. I decided on a single hose Mya Vortex hookah, a long time best seller in its class. Why single hose if I planned on smoking at parties, you might ask? I considered multiple hoses, but I find that in most party situations only one person is actually smoking at a time, and generally the other people are discussing hookahs while they wait their turn. The single hose hookah is just less stuff to deal with and more user-friendly for first time smokers. In the interest of full disclosure I do usually have a second hose and two autoseal hose adapters in my “hookah kit,” but that is another benefit of Mya hookahs. With only a few moments of effort my single-hosed hookah can have up to four hoses, and then go back to a single hose just as quickly. I also like that the included Mya case has lots of room for shisha and coals, something else that I put a lot of thought into selecting.

“Taste is subjective” is a comment that I often make to customers asking for flavor recommendations. Just because I like something doesn’t mean that you will, and vice versa. I also keep this in mind when choosing shisha for my hookah kit. At any given time I typically have 5-7 different shisha options at my disposal. What I would recommend thinking about when putting together a kit of your own is choosing flavors that are accessible for new smokers. Nakhla Double Apple may be your favorite, but it is probably going to be a little intense for a first time smoker. I usually have a couple of my favorite Romman flavors like Good Times and Summer Crisp, as well as a selection or two from Starbuzz (Melon Blue is a good choice, and lately I have been really into Starbuzz Acid Purple). One shisha you can always count on me having on hand is Island Papaya by Fumari Shisha. In my experience these flavors are solid crowd pleasers. I have yet to load up some Island Papaya and have someone complain. In fact, among my friends that have heard the hookah speech before, they have begun to request it by name. If you are so inclined (as I am) to also keep one or two flavors of herbal shisha in your kit, I would recommend Kali Drizzle from Hydro Herbal Shisha. You never know when a non-smoker might be interested in trying out a hookah, and offering them a bowl of tobacco-free shisha shows them that the hookah community can be accommodating.

As for other accessories you will find in my hookah kit, I always have a supply of hookah mouthtips (practice safe smoking!), Easy Foil (saves having to hunt down a pin for making holes), a vortex bowl, extra hookah grommets (just in case) and Golden hookah coals. Why quicklight coals? Honestly, when I am at home I use natural coals, but when I am on the go I never know what the situation will be like. I would hate to pass up an opportunity to introduce someone to smoking just because I can’t find a stove to light my natural coals. Quicklights may not be your favorite, but you can’t ignore the convenience factor. An often overlooked item that you might consider is carrying some bottled water. I know it sounds silly, but you never know. I have only broken out my own water supply once, but my hookah kit is pretty self-sufficient as it is, so it only seemed natural to be truly prepared.

Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, you should pack a good attitude in your hookah kit. Being a hookah ambassador is your opportunity to spread a positive message about hookahs and hookah culture. Being snobbish about the shisha you smoke or the type of hookah you have only leads to alienating people. Hookah is about bringing people together and sharing an experience. Think of it as passing a peace pipe. I encourage new hookah smokers to ask questions, and I work very hard to offer patience and a thoughtful answer. You may have explained how a hookah works a thousand times (I know I probably have) but this is the first time the person who is asking has heard it. Answer with kindness and forgive mistakes. I like to remember that each person to whom I introduce hookah may be embarking on a journey of love as I have, and I want them to start the journey off with a positive feeling.

I hope this glimpse into my level of hookah-nerd has been an interesting experience for you. Like all of us here at Hookah-Shisha I love talking about hookahs, so if you have any questions about putting together your own master of hookahry kit, don’t hesitate to contact us.

In the past few months, I have adopted a new nickname, “Shakes.” One of the reasons this nickname has stuck is my talent as a shisha tobacco mixologist. It is my distinguished honor and great pleasure to share my top ten hookah tobacco mixes with you!

10.  The Parisian Latte:  Starbuzz Carmel Macciato, Romman Cappucino and Romman Vanilla. Great for the morning, or after dinner. Sweet coffee with vanilla and carmel hints.

9. The Farmers Daughter: Al Fakher Watermelon and Al Fakher Mint. Perfect for the country and city alike. Sweet watermelon offset by dry mint.

8. Cherry Lemonade: Fumari Cherry and Fumari Lemon: Good substitute for a popsicle. Real cherry and lemon juice.

7. The Gypsy: Fumari Rose and Fumari Jasmine. Best when riding in a covered wagon while wearing scarves. Heavy floral notes.

6. The Good Doctor: Romman Cola and Romman Plum. A perfect substitute for soft drink. Two flavors that taste like 23!

5. The Scorpion Bowl: Romman Guava, Romman Pineapple, Romman Peach, Romman Mango. Good for making your taste buds limbo. A cornucopia of tropical fruit!

4. The Back Porch: Al Tawareg Sweet Honey. Al Tawareg Mint and Al Tawareg Lemon. Good on lazy afternoon. A light iced tea flavor.

3. The Disco Fog: Romman Strawberry, Romman Mint and Romman Lemon. Great for the dance floor. Mint with a sweet citrus blend.

2. The Himalayas: Al Tawareg Fresh Mint and Al Tawareg Dark Chocolate: Perfect for after dinner or on a pillow. Similar to the Thin Mints those girls in brown made popular.

1. The Georgia Berry: Fumari White Peach and Romman Melonberry. DELICIOUS.

Please add any hookah mixes of your own in the customer comments as we are always looking for the next great cocktail!

Howdy Hookah Friends!

We have 19th century Italian immigrants to thank for Neapolitan ice cream, which is of course chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry flavors in the same container. Obviously, this being a hookah website, the $64,000 question is: How can it be smoked?

This mix was suggested to us by Rj, one of our Facebook fans, after we polled everyone asking their favorite hookah tobacco mix and then opened up all the suggestions to a vote. The winner was Rj’s take on this classic conglomerate of the 3 most popular ice cream flavors, so let’s give it a try – it sounds delicious! On to the ingredients:

Starbuzz Chocolate Strawberry. It was suggested to us not to use a straight chocolate flavor as it would be too overpowering, and in hindsight that was definitely sage advice. You really want a subtle chocolate taste that doesn’t trump the creaminess of the vanilla. Chocolate Strawberry from Starbuzz Hookah Tobacco does the trick perfectly – the chocolate flavor lingers in the background like a soft musical dynamic while the motif of strawberry dances on your tongue.

Starbuzz Vanilla: When making an ice cream-themed shisha bowl, you’ll want something that brings out the “creaminess factor,” and vanilla from Starbuzz does the job perfectly.

Hookah-Hookah Strawberry. We were curious as to why Rj chose the strawberry flavor from this brand over any other, but after about 10 minutes of smoking the Neapolitan bowl we soon discovered why: Hookah-Hookah’s strawberry flavor tastes precisely like strawberry ice cream, as opposed to strawberry bubble gum or strawberry flavored candy that some other brands produce. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a sucker for a good strawberry flavor of any ilk, however for this particular mix the creamy strawberry taste was spot-on!

You’re going to want to mix equal parts Starbuzz Chocolate Strawberry and Vanilla, with the Hookah-Hookah Strawberry added as somewhat of a “topping,” so to speak. Say about a 40/40/20 mix. Since Hookah-Hookah is a more dry tobacco than Starbuzz, I added a small layer on the bottom as well, as to make somewhat of a wet shisha “sandwich,” if that makes any sense. We used a red Vortex Hookah Bowl and Coco Nara Hookah Charcoals.

So how did it smoke? The consensus of our team: “Pretty damn tasty,” and I couldn’t agree more. It was a smart choice to not use a straight up chocolate flavor because it definitely would have overpowered the vanilla. Speaking of the vanilla, it certainly added a creamy smoothness to compliment the strong strawberry taste. The chocolate flavor was at that perfect level where you can taste it more on the exhale, just the way I like it. As the Italians say, è squisito!

If you have a favorite hookah tobacco mix, please let us know, we’d love to try it and share it with everyone! If you haven’t already, come join us on Facebook where we’ll have weekly Facebook-only contests with cool prizes. Thanks again Rj, and Happy Smoking!

D’oh!

One of the many perks that comes with working here at Hookah and Shisha Central is the freedom to smoke hookah all day. Not only are employees allowed to smoke, but are even encouraged to do so. It makes sense; how better to understand differences in flavors and brands than by smoking them ourselves? One of the most popular times for smoking new flavors is when we gather for meetings. Our meetings are often more like friends gathering to chat than strict business meetings, so hookahs fit right in. While preparing our hookah for the meeting recently, I decided that we should try the new Romman Lime. I have come to regard most lemon or lime flavors as lacking great presence. Not to say that I don’t like them, just that they tend to lack flavor and often wind up tasting a bit like floor cleaner to me. As a result of my predisposition toward lime, I was reluctant to load a straight bowl of lime and decided instead to create a Key Lime Pie mix. As the mix turned out to be one of the best hookahs we have smoked in a while, we decided that I should share with you how the mix goes together and why it works.

Hookah-Hookah Graham Cracker – What would Key Lime Pie be without a graham cracker crust? Pudding, that’s what. I begin the mix by packing a thin layer of Hookah-Hookah Graham Cracker at the bottom of my Vortex Hookah Bowl. Just to be clear, I really mean that I packed it in there. I put just enough shisha in the bottom to not be able to see the glaze from the bowl and then packed it down to create something very similar to a genuine graham cracker crust on a real key lime pie. Because the shisha is so far from the coals, you don’t have to worry about it burning from the higher heat that the Romman shisha can take and you get a nice hint of graham cracker that cuts the other flavors nicely.

Romman Lime – Obviously, what would the mix be without lime? The second I opened the pouch of Romman lime, I knew that this was not a typical lime flavor. The smell is great and the flavor is full bodied. This is not a candy lime, but a genuine citrus lime that is out-of-this-world amazing. I love this flavor. My key lime pie mix is mostly lime, I would suggest something like 80% lime, with 10% vanilla and 10% graham cracker.

Romman Vanilla – Not unlike Romman’s lime or mint, vanilla is a strong flavor so it should be used carefully. I didn’t want a strong vanilla taste in the mix, I just wanted a bit of the sweetness from the vanilla to help make the mix taste more like a real key lime pie. I mixed the lime and vanilla flavors separately in a bowl, breaking up the shisha along the way and tossing the flavors together like making a salad. A flavor explosion of lime and vanilla salad, that is. After the lime and vanilla were mixed well, I placed them loosely on top of their graham cracker “crust” in my vortex bowl.

The resulting mix is heavenly, and I am excited to share it with the world. I guarantee that you won’t be disappointed and I wouldn’t be surprised if this mix becomes one of your all time favorites. I know it has quickly become a favorite around our offices!

]]> http://www.hookah-shisha.com/hookahlove/6088-hookah-tobacco-flavor-mix-employee-pick-key-lime-pie.html/feed 2 http://www.hookah-shisha.com/hookahlove/4016-romman-strawberry-shisha-tobacco-best-shisha-flavor-morning.html http://www.hookah-shisha.com/hookahlove/4016-romman-strawberry-shisha-tobacco-best-shisha-flavor-morning.html#comments Fri, 13 May 2011 16:09:44 +0000 Jono http://www.hookah-shisha.com/hookahlove/?p=4016 I don’t know about you, but there are some days when I wake up and can’t wait to smoke hookah before work. 7am is THE PERFECT TIME!  Most people are rushing off to Starbucks or the Donut Palace for coffee and/or donuts.  Not me. I’m loading Romman Turkish Coffee shisha, or Romman Vanilla mixed with [...]]]>

I don’t know about you, but there are some days when I wake up and can’t wait to smoke hookah before work. 7am is THE PERFECT TIME!  Most people are rushing off to Starbucks or the Donut Palace for coffee and/or donuts.  Not me. I’m loading Romman Turkish Coffee shisha, or Romman Vanilla mixed with a splash of Starbuzz Coconut. Romman shisha tobacco flavors like Coconut, Vanilla, Chocolate or Starbuzz flavors like  Caramel Macchiato, Pumpkin Pie, Christmas Mix, are ALL great choices in the AM. However, it’s time to get creative.  Give your palate the wake-up call it has been waiting for. Instead of the creamy flavors of “the usual” morning hookah, you should try to emphasize the flavors from your morning routine.

For example, this morning I decided on yogurt mixed with strawberries instead of the “easy make” waffles. But what I didn’t realize was that the yogurt was actually strawberry flavored to begin with. So I get the double strawberry effect happening in my mouth. I don’t know if this was an act of genius or what, but I thought, “hey, I should be smoking Romman Strawberry shisha with this!” To me, Romman Strawberry has always been the closest shisha flavor to real strawberries because of that certain “seedy” sweetness. Others seemed to lack that authentic fruit flavor.  That’s why I wanted to try smoking Romman Strawberry shisha tobacco with my breakfast. All the shisha needed was a little kick of zing that yogurt provides mixed with a bite or two of real strawberries and bipity bopity boom! An AMAZING way to kick start your day!

Give it a shot and let me know (by commenting below) what your thoughts are and if you have any suggestions for the best shisha tobacco to try in the morning.  I am always on the lookout for new ways to make my hookah smoking experience better.  Hit us up on Facebook and let us know your morning hookah routine!  Happy Smoking friends!

With the “BIG GAME” just around the corner, I’m getting ready to throw my annual Halftime Hookah Party with tons of pizza, snacks, drinks, friends, and of course HOOKAH! We have a tradition that whenever our team scores, we pile in our friend’s truck and haul up and down the neighborhood screaming our heads off! I’m sure it’s annoying being my neighbor, especially if you’re routing for the other team. But it’s all in good fun. So today, I come to you with a few tips on how to spice up your halftime hookah party, specifically, to point you in the right direction when deciding what hookah tobacco flavors to choose.

First things first. You have to know what flavors go well with pizza and other football friendly snacks and/or beverages and which ones to stay away from. I recently conducted a survey on our Facebook page to get some of our customers’ opinions. When asked what the best types of hookah flavors to have on hand during the big game were, a large majority of the people said citrus and/or fruity flavors. Some that come to mind are Pineapple, Strawberry, Pina Colada, Safari Melon Dew, and Orange Soda. Others added flavors such as Cola, Vanilla, and Chocolate.  Mint flavors, however, were surprisingly hit and miss this time around. I always think Mint is a good idea, but the people have spoken with opposing opinions. So we’ll cancel Mint off our list. On the flip side, according to our poll, one flavor to stay away from at an event like this is Rose. What? Too much testosterone in the air for a little floral sweetness? All joking aside, I agree. Let’s avoid the potpouri if we can, ok?

Here’s my top 10 Halftime Hookah flavors for this year’s Big Game!

1. Starbuzz Blue Mist

2. Romman Good Times

3. Al Tawareg Tropical Pineapple

4. Al Fakher Golden Strawberry

5. Starbuzz Pina Colada

6. Al Tawareg Orange Cream

7. Starbuzz Safari Melon Dew

8. Romman Sweet Melon mixed with Al Tawareg Tangy Orange and Starbuzz White Peach

9. Al Tawareg Dark Chocolate

10. Starbuzz Cola mixed with Romman Cola

If the pizza is hot, the glasses stay full, and the hookah stays lit, your Halftime Hookah Party will be a success, regardless of the outcome of the game. Either be a humble winner or a graceful loser…and have fun! Happy Smoking to all of our fans of the pigskin!

When one wants to enjoy the coolest, iciest, smoothest hookah smoke possible, the methods to achieve this are quite limited — you can add ice cubes to the water in the base, or, if your hookah is equipped with an ice chamber at the top of the stem, ice can be added there as well. That’s pretty much it…until now! Introducing the Mystique Hookah Ice Hose Tip:

So what is this thing? The Mystique Ice Hose Tip is an accessory for the Nammor Hookah Hose that takes the pleasure of hookah smoking up several notches by chilling the smoke down to temperatures never thought possible.

Inside are non-toxic packets of water that, when frozen, act like ice cubes that don’t make a mess when they melt. As the flavored smoke makes its journey from the bowl to your lips, it passes through a final gauntlet of ice, which when combined with the frozen water vapor produces an unsurpassable smooth smoke! Here’s how it works:

1. Place the Mystique Ice Hose Tip in the freezer for 1-2 hours or until the ice packets are frozen.

2. Once the ice packets inside are frozen, insert the larger tapered end of the Mystique Ice Hose Tip into your Nammor Hookah Hose (where the acrylic Nammor mouthpiece would normally go). It fits like a glove on both the large and the small sized Nammor Hose!

3. Smoke!

4. Wash it out after every use to keep it clean and to prevent stains. Simply run tap water through it for up to a minute. Shake dry. Repeat steps 1-3 until satisfied!

And there you have it — the next step in hookah innovation that can only found here at Hookah-Shisha.com, your friendly neighborhood hookah ninjas. Try it out and let us know what you think! Stay cool, and happy smoking!