Smoking Hookah is and always will be a social experience.  As if I needed to tell you!  “Hookah Culture” is a vast umbrella that covers history, customs/traditions, etiquette, atmosphere, and more.  Today, as the wave of hookah culture is spreading to newer regions of the world, some traditions get left behind and forgotten.  Some, on the other hand, are often ignored.  Below is a list of unofficial “rules” that are associated with proper hookah etiquette.

1. The first thing to understand and consider is what I call “house rules”. This is the most important one to remember. If you’re at your friends house and he has a set of rules, follow them.  If you’re in another country, know their customs and traditions. You never want to offend your hosts.

2. Usually, the person who sets up the hookah gets to smoke first in the rotation. The person in charge of coals goes second. Does this mean that if you set up the hookah and coals you get a longer turn? Not necessarily. However, some people believe that if you supplied the hookah and/or hookah tobacco, you reserve the right to smoke longer if you so desire.

3. Rotation is always CLOCKWISE (meaning – if you’re in a circle, it is your turn when the person on your right has completed their turn and placed the hose down). So why didn’t I just say “pass it to your left”?  Because it is considered rude to pass the hose to someone directly in some parts of the world.

4. If you do pass it to someone, always angle the end of the hose with the mouth tip away from the person you’re giving it to. This rule is frequently ignored. But be aware that you may offend and disrespect your host, fellow participants, or country by overlooking their customs.

5. Speaking of passing the hose, always use your RIGHT hand when smoking hookah. In some parts of the world, the left hand is considered to be unclean. You may be thinking to yourself, “My left hand is just as clean as my right”.  By ignoring this rule, you run the risk of insulting and offending your hosts or guests.

6. Traditionally, hookahs are thought to belong on the floor and not on tables or on any other risen platform. It stems from the idea that hookahs are objects of service. Putting it on a pedestal (or any other seemingly glorifying alter) is considered to be Bad News Bears! Again, this is more of a tradition than a rule. Hookah lounges often adhere to the customs but cannot in every situation.

7. Be mindful not to blow smoke into another person’s face. While shotgunning (a term used to describe the act of blowing smoke from one person’s mouth to another person’s mouth) is not necessarily insulting, a good rule to go by is if the person doesn’t want you to blow your smoke in their face, simply don’t do it! Unwanted smoke in your face (not to mention subsequent breath) is considered rude, impolite, and gross.

8. Another quick tip is not to point your hose directly at someone. Tisk tisk.

9. If you’re smoking a multi-hose hookah, if someone else is smoking, let them finish puffing before taking your turn. Also, do not blow into your hose in an attempt to push smoke up through your friend’s hose and into their face.  That’s just rude.  See rule 7.  And unless you’re in the act of smoking, plug your hose so your friend’s aren’t just sucking air.

10. Promote good hygiene.  Always use a mouth tip (but don’t share one). If you’re sick, don’t smoke with friends.

11. When it is your turn, rest the hose in your lap.  Do not place it back on the table. Once you have finished with your hookah session, the best way to say “we’re done” is to wrap the hose around the shaft.

12. Don’t be a JONO. Don’t Bogart! While puff puff pass is still respected, some think that each participant should be given 2-3 minutes per turn. If you’re that guy that spends 5-10 minutes trying to perfect the art of smoke rings, do it on your own time. Let your friends/guests have a turn too buddy! Be lighthearted if there is a Bogart among you. Subtle ways of letting him or her know that they’re chiefing the hookah are good enough.  Call them out!

13. Hosts should let their guests help in deciding what hookah flavor to smoke. And don’t pick a flavor YOU KNOW someone won’t like. That’s just uncool. Also, if you’re a guest in my house and I invite you over to smoke hookah, do not try and reimburse me.  Sharing the hookah experience with my friends is my pleasure.

Smoking hookah is a privilege and a civilized pastime.  Having fun, relaxing with your peers, and enjoying a peaceful hookah session is what it’s all about.  Don’t ruin the vibe for others!  Follow the rules of hookah etiquette and experience the hookah culture in all its wealth.  If there are a few tips or rules you would like to add to our list, please feel free to do so by leaving comments below.  This is a forum for you to discuss your experiences and traditions as well.  I look forward to your feedback!  Happy Smoking!

Howdy Hookah Lovers!

Hookah-shisha.com presents our second guest blog author and finalist in our blog contest. Kyle Johnson from Virginia tells us to “Support your Local Hookah Bar.” And why shouldn’t you? Take it away Kyle!

As a frequent hookah smoker myself, I was greatly encouraged to visit www.hookah-shisha.com. I was first introduced to hookah smoking 2 years ago on a trip to Cuchara, Colorado. It is a very small town on the southeastern end of Colorado. The guy who introduced me gladly shared his knowledge of hookah smoking with me. He said that he obtains all of his hookah essentials from his local provider, www.Hookah-shisha.com.

The reason I am writing this love blog is for a local hookah bar/pizza parlor near me. They are know as King’s Cafe, or more commonly, Pizza King. Pizza King is located in Dumfries, Virginia, right outside the largest outlet mall on the east coast, Potomac Mills. Ish, the owner and operator, is a Moroccan immigrant. The cafe has been in his family for many years. They serve to all sorts of clients, ranging from 18 to the elderly. The staff is just as welcoming to everyone. Today, i was driving by Pizza King and saw one of my friends walking in. I gladly made the extra stop for a hookah. We enjoyed one of the many delicious combinations. Their specialty being a soft, cooling mixture of Al Fakher Jasmine, mint and a hint of watermelon. This mixture has grown to be my favorite. Pizza King is an overall welcoming place and sticks to its’ Moroccan roots with cultural paintings, as well as music. Kabobs and other Middle Eastern foods are offered and are greatly recommended.

I know that this is just one hookah bar however, I can only imagine the glories of others nationally, as well as worldwide. I highly recommend those who love hookah to go out and share your love with those of the same intent. Hookah bars are a great place to meet people and bring friends. Share and pass on the love of hookah smoking to all of your friends and go out and support your local hookah bar!

I love visiting New York. I don’t think I could ever live there for too long, but it is an experience to visit. The thing I love the most about NY is how its ethnic communities so closely resemble the environments of their origins.

Steinway street in Astoria is a good example. I wanted some good Kanafa, a famous Arabic desert, and was directed to a great place on Steinway. As I walked down the street, I could smell the hookahs from two blocks away. It was awesome! As I would walk by the hookah lounges, I was giddy for the first time (in a long time) by the immense amount of smoke billowing out of these hookah coffee shops. I would soon learn the clouds of smoke it was produced from the traditional method of smoking and coal use.

The vast majority of shops were all decorated in a traditional Egyptian manner and were filled with patrons sucking down hookahs, eating arabic food, sipping tea and playing cards. The occasional backgammon game or plate of food being served as well. It was like walking into downtown Egypt all over again.

During the next few days I visited a total of 3, although there were probably about 10 hookah venues on Steinway street alone. The ones I visited were Eastern Nights, Layali Beirut and Melody. Although I enjoyed the pleasant atmosphere oft was a nice mix between all of them (and I will be posting reviews on all of them), but I would have to say that Melody was my favorite.

Honestly, none of them had their hookahs up to par for my standards. All of these hookah lounges were filled with older hookahs, most had tons of charcoal loaded on their hookahs (although they thankfully used Natural Hookah charcoal which is my favorite) but the best hookah smoke was from the ones serving Al-Fakher, which I still consider a sub-par tobacco brand. The others used Nakhla.

I thought that smoking hookah indoors was illegal in NY. It is! And they actually have “No Smoking” signs in all of the hookah lounges. So how do these hookah lounges exist? By using herbal shisha. Herbal Shisha is a type of shisha that uses all herbal blend vs. tobacco leaves. It tastes different and is typically much less quality of a smoke than hookah tobacco. But it is great for those no-smoking cities like NY. Now, are they really using herbal shisha. Although I can’t say that all of the lounges in NY aren’t using herbal shisha, but I can safely say that some NY hookah lounges are using regular tobacco shisha.

Can herbal shisha be as good as hookah tobacco in the future? Yes! With proper development, herbal shisha should be able to taste just like regular shisha.

Is herbal shisha as good as hookah tobacco right now? Noooo… not when customers reporst flavors such as “pencil shaving” and “wood”

So, to kick off my reviews of NY Hookah Lounges, I will start with the Melody Hookah Lounge, the best I visited in NYC. It has delectable food, well maintained hookahs (although the shisha served was the ‘ketchup flavored’ Grape Al-Fakher that some may have heard of), and homey, comfortable ambiance. Here is a pic of the hookah I ennjoyed:

As well as the tea kettle we used (it has a fun little guy padding as the handle).

Will I go again? Yes, because the food was amazing. For areas of improvement, I’d like to see them offer better hookah flavors. Full reviews for the 4 hookah lounges I visited in NY will soon follow.