Shisha Review: Al Fakher Chocolate

Shisha Review: Al Fakher Chocolate

Today I’m bringing you a review of Al Fakher brand chocolate flavor hookah shisha. I’ve mentioned before how Starbuzz is my favorite brand, but venturing out into other brands can lead to an unexpectedly delicious flavor or provide a financial solution to maintaining your hookah smoking habits. A 250g tin of Al Fakher shisha ($11.95) is cheaper than a 250g tin of Starbuzz shisha ($19.99).

In this case, I wanted to choose a flavor not offered by Starbuzz. A few stuck out initially, but my sweet tooth really kicked in when I saw that Al Fakher sold a chocolate flavored shisha. I grabbed it off the shelf and took it home with me.

I loaded a bowl of this new chocolate shisha, and waited for the coals to reach a satisfying burn level (I judge my natural coals by when they are red all the way through). Al Fakher shisha comes in a zip-lock pouch, which can be very convenient, especially for travel. However one thing to note about this shisha is that it tends to be much wetter than other brands. By the time you reach the end of your Al Fakher shisha, you might consider pulling out the remaining pieces with something other than your hands, especially if you have an aversion to getting them dirty.

After about 10 minutes, I loaded the coals onto my Vortex bowl filled with chocolate shisha (I chose a Vortex bowl for this occasion because I’m not too sure of Al Fakher's ability to preserve flavor). As the shisha began to warm up, I couldn’t taste much at first. It tasted vaguely sweet with only a hint of chocolate. As the smoke began to come thick and white from the hose, the shisha took on its full flavor. To me, it didn’t taste quite right. The taste of chocolate was indeed there, but sort of in a toned down, artificial sense (Although to give credit to Al Fakher, how much can you really expect from flavored tobacco?).

A few minutes into my smoking session, I became frustrated with the way this shisha tasted. It was simply too bland for my liking, so I decided to add some Starbuzz Raspberry shisha to the bowl. To do this, I took off the coals and removed the top layer of tin foil. I replaced half of the shisha inside the bowl with the Starbuzz brand and mixed it around before replacing the foil top. I found a much more enjoyable combination of flavors after this small adjustment. The sweetness of the raspberry shisha complimented the chocolate in a balanced way that eliminated any hint of an artificial taste, yet retained the chocolate flavor they were trying to nail.

Overall, I would recommend this shisha as a flavor enhancer, and should be smoked alongside other favorites. Some may like this chocolate flavor solo, but I will mix mine with other fruity flavors in the future in an attempt to replicate the success I found with my chocolate raspberry bowl.

Regular Hookah Bowl vs. Vortex Bowls

Although all hookahs generally work in the same fashion, there are small tweaks and changes hookah owners can apply to slightly alter their smoking experience. The prime example of this deals with the liquid medium, which can be cooled with ice cubes for a smoother smoking experience (I’ve even heard of hoses that have their own cooling mechanism inside). For an enhanced flavor experience, I’ve heard of folks replacing the water with something else that adds a flavor of its own. It may not be apparent, but even the bowl style has an effect on your smoking experience.

Almost all hookahs sold come with a standard bowl; simply a bowl with a varying number of holes at the bottom to allow the smoke to filter through. There is, however, another type of bowl available, which, in my experience, increases both session length and overall enjoyment. I’m speaking of course of the Vortex style bowl. As you can see, the shisha in this bowl is loaded around the center while the smoke is vented through the middle.

The advantage with this type of bowl is simple: loading the coals onto the middle of the bowl allows for the shisha to burn evenly without charring it. This avoids the unpleasant harshness sometime encountered during a smoking session. The coals heat the bowl that in turn heats the shisha without the direct contact found with a standard bowl. In my experience, this allows for an even burn throughout the session, and also preserves the flavor a bit better. This is a function not only of the coal placement, but the ventilation holes found throughout the depth of the shisha along the center bowl column.
Vortex bowls will run you a little more cost-wise initially than a standard bowl, but the investment is well worth it, especially for frequent smokers. One last thing to note: it may take a few more starting pulls to achieve the thick smoke most hookah smokers desire, but this is due only to the bowl structure.

Don't Let a Broken Hookah Vase Stop You

Water bottle hookah "vase".

Some friends broke their hookah vase one night and didn't have a spare to replace it with.  Not the type of people to be stopped by a broken vase, they discovered that the stem fit perfectly in a 1 gallon water bottle.

So if you break your hookah vase, don't despair.  Chances are you have something around your house that will make a good substitute until your new one arrives.

What is a Hookah Pipe?

Hookah History

Hookahs (also called shisha, or nargile) were invented over 1000 years ago near the modern day Pakistan/India border in Indochina. Originally, they were not used for smoking tobacco; instead, they were typically a vehicle for the consumption of opium or hashish. People did not start smoking tobacco out of hookah pipes until they were introduced in Turkey several hundred years ago. It wasn't long before hookah lounges became a popular place for people to relax and socialize with a few friends. Recently, hookah pipes have become very popular in the United States (more on hookah history).

Modern day hookahs are used almost exclusively for the smoking of hookah tobacco, or shisha. This is a mix of long leaf tobacco and flavored molasses that makes very thick, sweet, and satisfying smoke clouds. A hookah pipe is made up of seven major parts, these are the same parts you will need if you want to build a custom hookah pipe.

1. Hookah Bowl The hookah bowl is also known as the head of the hookah. Hookah bowls are usually made of clay ceramics so that they conduct heat more efficiently. The bowl of a hookah sits on the very top of the hookah stem, and it is what shisha (hookah tobacco) is loaded into. Hookah coals are then placed on top of the bowl to heat the shisha, which creates smoke. 2. Hookah Hose The hookah hose is a flexible tube, usually made from leather or synthetic leather, depending on the quality. Hookah hoses typically have handles made of wood or plastic, although particularly high quality hookahs may have hoses made from marble or bone. Hookah hoses allow smoke to be drawn up from the hookah vase into the hookah smoker's lungs. 3. Hookah Stem A hookah stem is the part of the hookah that carries smoke from the hookah bowl down to the hookah vase. This is also where hookah hoses are attached to the hookah, but hoses draw smoke directly from the reservoir of smoke collected in the vase. 4. Hookah Grommet Hookah grommets are sometimes referred to as hookah gaskets. A hookah grommet seals the connection between the hookah stem and the hookah vase so that no smoke escapes from the vase during a smoke session. 5. Hookah Valve Hookah valves are found both in the stem opening and in the ball on the opposite side. Typically, the valve is made from a ball bearing that will fall to close off the smoke chamber when the hookah is not being smoked. Suction will pull the bearing up when the hose is being used to open up the vase and allow the smoke to be drawn out. 6. Hookah Vase The hookah vase, or base of the hookah, is usually made of glass, but it can be made of a variety of other materials, such as ceramics, metal, or plastic. The vase is typically filled with water, and collects smoke that is drawn down from the bowl and through the stem. The water in a hookah vase is reputed to filter out many harmful chemicals; according to the WHO, it actually does filter out nicotine(p. 3). Smoke is then drawn out of the vase through a separate tube in the stem through a hose. Some people fill the vase with fruit juice, milk, or alcohol, but I do not recommend it. Filling the vase with anything other than water can cause corrosion and mold in the stem, vase, or bowl, and will be a nightmare to clean (more on how to clean a hookah). 7. Charcoal Tray The charcoal tray catches ash from the bowl, and is a great place to hang your hookah tongs. It is not crucial for the use of a hookah, but it is also a good place to put coals that are nearly burnt out, or coals that are already spent. Want to buy a hookah?  Visit the hookah store.  This is a great  place to find a new hookah.

Is Hookah Smoking Really as Dangerous as Some Say?

When I first started smoking hookah, I believed that it was definitely safer than smoking cigarettes or a regular pipe. I never really thought much about this until the news picked up on a recent WHO article regarding health risks of hookah tobacco. All the news stories that I read were citing this one article, using it as proof that hookah smoking is dangerous and it should be stopped. Intrigued, I read it myself.

As it turns out, it's not a scientific study at all. It's actually an advisory note, the purpose of which is to recommend that the scientific community do more research on the matter. The note is short, and contains an overview of the history of hookah smoking, as well as the parts of a hookah pipe and their use. There is also a small section on health risks from hookah smoking that implies that hookah smoking is more dangerous because you inhale more 'smoke'.

The thing is, no one knows if hookah smoke has the same composition as cigarette smoke. The hot smoke passes through the water in the vase, and it's a reasonable assumption that some of the water evaporates, cooling the smoke and causing it to contain much more water vapor than cigarette smoke. The water in the vase may make hookah smoke more like steam, with fewer potentially harmful chemicals. No one knows yet, so it's unreasonable to assume that hookah smoking is more dangerous because you inhale more 'smoke'.

The note also says that the water in the hookah vase actually does filter out some of the nicotine, and hookah shisha has been proven to have significantly lower amounts of nicotine and tar than the tobacco used in pipes and cigarettes (p. 3). The news articles I read took this to mean that hookah smokers will therefore smoke more hookah to feel the effects of nicotine. Really though, hookah is just too much of a hassle for someone who only wants nicotine. If that's all they wanted, they could just smoke a cigarette.  No messy shisha, no waiting for the coals to be hot (or dealing with the smell and taste of instant light coals), and no cleanup at the end. Really, why pay more for shisha and take the time to make a hookah if all you're looking for is nicotine?

In the end, I agree with the authors of the note, but not the sensationalized media coverage. The authors of the note recognize that there isn't nearly enough scientific evidence to draw a conclusion one way or the other, and that more needs to be done. I believe that more research will prove that while smoking is never completely safe, smoking hookah is significantly less dangerous than smoking cigarettes.

As the debate on the dangers of hookah smoking continues to heat up, there are a growing number of people who believe that herbal (tobacco free) shisha makes a great substitute for hookah tobacco, with none of the negative effects of regular shisha. Herbal shisha is made from an herbal substitute for tobacco leaves, and can be bought in a hookah store. Generally, other leaves that smoke in a similar fashion to tobacco leaves are best. I've heard of people using mint leaves as a substitute for hookah tobacco, but I've never tried that variation myself. The most common herbal shisha is made from tea leaves and is covered in flavored molasses, just like regular hookah tobacco.

There are several obvious advantages to herbal shisha. Herbal shisha does not contain tobacco, and therefore does not contain any nicotine. Without nicotine, herbal shisha does not have any addictive properties. Also, because there is no tobacco in herbal shisha, there is less tar, heavy metals, and other harmful chemicals than in regular hookah tobacco. This means that the long term health effects of herbal shisha are less than those of typical shisha made from tobacco. However, there are health risks associated with inhaling smoke of any kind, though the risks may vary.

I've smoked my fair share of both regular hookah tobacco and herbal shisha. There are two major differences in these two different varieties of shisha. The first thing you notice when you smoke herbal shisha for the first time is that the smoke clouds aren't as big. The second thing you notice is that it doesn't give you the same buzz that smoking hookah tobacco does. This should have been obvious, since herbal shisha doesn't contain tobacco, but somehow it caught me by surprise the first time I smoked herbal shisha. Herbal shisha is covered with the same varieties of flavored molasses that hookah tobacco is, so smoking it tastes nearly the same as smoking regular shisha.

In short, the jury is still out on the health risks of smoking any kind of hookah shisha. For the hookah smoker who would prefer to avoid nicotine, herbal shisha is a fantastic substitute for conventional hookah tobacco.

I should mention that I'm not a medical professional, and what I've written above is merely my opinion. At this point, it's probably obvious that I'm a little biased; I've smoked hookah for years, I write a blog about it and I have a hookah store. However, my goal is never to misinform or distort the truth. I've just seen a lot of hype recently about how horrible hookah smoking is, and I thought that someone should point out that some of the claims made seem a bit exaggerated. I'd like us to make an informed decision based on all the facts. 

Starbuzz Shisha Review: Tangerine Dream

Shisha Review: Starbuzz Tangerine Dream

Starbuzz hookah shisha remains one of my favorite shisha brands for a few simple reasons: Not only is the tobacco they sell consistently packed with flavor, but the product itself is usually easy to handle and contains a minimal amount of twigs (the un-smoke able sticks sometimes found in a tin of hookah tobacco).

Today I exposed my palate to a new flavor, Tangerine Dream, and it simply blew me away. Personally, I’m a sucker for sweeter shisha flavors – Blue Mist, Melon Berry, etc. – for their stronger taste and seemingly longer retention thereof, and Tangerine Dream was no different. Just smelling the shisha itself reminded me of what I imagine a sugary slice of tangerine would taste like. That’s one more thing I really enjoy about Starbuzz hookah tobacco – their flavors are, generally speaking, very exact in what they’re supposed to be mimicking.

I loaded a bowl of the stuff into my Dragon Hookah and stacked two natural coals on top. I like to use natural coals over insta-lites whenever possible for their extended, more even burn. But insta-lites are great for when you’re on the go. The first few puffs were light in smoke as the shisha began to burn, but then the full flavor of Tangerine Dream revealed itself.

The flavor of this shisha was actually very comparable to the way it smelled, which is something I rarely find. Although it wasn’t as powerful, the taste in my mouth was almost exclusively of tangerines. For the first 45 minute session this shisha burned evenly and consistently, never getting too harsh or losing flavor (until the coals eventually died). Even after loading a second round of coals onto the bowl, Tangerine Dream still tasted remarkably like it had previously.

For a flavor such as this, I suspect the manufacturer was aimed at producing a great mixing flavor. That is, Starbuzz Tangerine Dream would most certainly smoke great with other flavors, fruity ones in particular. That being said, smoking Tangerine Dream by itself was in no way a disappointment, and performs well in its own capacity. I would highly recommend this flavor to smokers looking to try either something new, or discover a great mixer to improve existing flavor favorites.

How to Clean a Hookah Pipe

I started smoking hookah at hookah lounges, like most people. This was great at first, but after smoking for a while I started to want to be able to smoke a hookah pipe at my own house. I decided to buy my own hookah. After smoking my new hookah for the first time, I realized I had no idea what to do with the hookah pipe to keep it clean. I improvised, and it didn't turn out well for me. I lived in a particularly wet part of Oregon at the time, and I didn't clean my new hookah very well. I drained the water out of the base, and got the hookah tobacco out of the bowl. After that, I put my hookah back together and put it in the cupboard.

After a couple days, I got my hookah out, loaded it up, and had another session. After smoking for about 15 minutes, I started to feel light headed. That had happened before, so I thought I just needed to slow down. A couple minutes later, I stand up to get a drink. As I'm on my way to the kitchen, I'm overcome with a wave of nausea that almost left me retching over the sink.

My housemates thought it was the tobacco in the shisha, but I wasn't convinced. I had never had a problem like this from hookah before, and I had smoked at quite a few hookah lounges before I decided to buy my first new hookah pipe. After my stomach had settled, I brought my hookah into the kitchen and examined it. Turns out, mold had started to grow in the bowl and hose (did I mention Oregon is a very wet place?). I can only guess bits of the mold got into the smoke and that's what made me sick.

After that, I was much more thorough about cleaning my hookah. Now that I have a many years of hookah smoking experience, I've put together this guide to keep other new hookah smokers from my fate.

After you finish smoking, take your hookah all the way apart. Separate the bowl from the stem, and throw the burned hookah tobacco away. Be careful, it might be hot. Take the charcoal off the stem, and then taking the stem off of the vase (sometimes they screw off, sometimes you can just pull it off). Then, separate the downstem (the part that goes into the water), and take the hookah hose off.

Now that your new hookah is in pieces, clean each one of them. If you have a well made hookah (think Mya, Khali Mahmoon, or Sahara), you can put some of the pieces in the dish washer. However, most authentic Middle Eastern hookahs, like rare China, are extremely well made, but not dishwasher safe.

I own a Sahara Candy Stripe hookah, and I've put both my vortex bowl and the vase in the dishwasher. This is an especially good option if you have a mold problem, like I had after my first blunder. It's not really worth it to put the stem in, because it's difficult for the dishwasher to actually clean. If you're lucky, your hookah came with a stem cleaning brush (all Sahara hookahs do). You can use this to clean the stem and downstem.

If you live in a wet area, I don't recommend running any water through the hose when you're cleaning your hookah. If you do, make sure you hang it up to dry so that both sides of the hose can drain. A clothes hangar or towel bar work pretty well. Put the other pieces of your hookah on the dish rack to dry. In dry climates, you likely won't get mold, but it's still important to clean and dry your hookah to prevent corrosion.

Do not, under any circumstances, use solvents or cleaners on your hookah. This will corrode your hookah and make it break sooner. Soapy water is fine, but make sure to rinse thoroughly so that your next smoke does not have a soapy flavor. I still wouldn't recommend using soapy water on the hose, because it can be really hard to completely rinse out.

Basically, clean and dry your hookah thoroughly after every use. A clean, well maintained hookah will last you much longer and give you a much more pleasant smoking experience, free from mold induced nausea.

A Brief History of the Hookah

Hookah pipes, also known as shishas (not to be confused with hookah tobacco, also called shisha by some) and nargiles, have rapidly gained popularity in the United States over the last 10-15 years. The rise in the popularity of hookah smoking has been especially pronounced among young adults and college students. This has given rise to many hookah bars and hookah shops all across the U.S.

However, don't let the sudden popularity of hookah pipes in the U.S. fool you; hookahs have been around for more than 1000 years. Historians believe that they were originally invented in the mountainous regions near the Pakistan/India border.

The first hookahs were somewhat primitive in design (it was more than a millenium ago, after all), typically made from a clay jar or coconut shell base, with a hollow tube and a head. Hookahs were originally designed to smoke opium and hashish, but today are used almost exclusively for the consumption of tobacco covered in flavored syrup, typically called shisha in the States.

From its starting place in the rugged mountains of Pakistan and western India, hookah pipes were introduced to the Persian Kingdom (modern day Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, and northern Africa). At some point after its introduction to the Persian culture, tobacco was introduced to the new hookah pipe, giving rise to the use of hookahs that we see today.

It wasn't until about 500 years ago that the hookah finally made its way to Turkey, where it experienced an abrupt increase in popularity among the upper classes and intellectuals causing many of them to buy hookahs. This is where the hookah that we are familiar with today was first invented. Brass and glass were substituted for the wood used in older designs, often incorporating intricate carvings and glasswork for higher class consumers.

Hookah popularity grew to the point where coffee shops began to serve hookahs along with their regular fair, giving rise to one version of the modern day hookah bar. These coffee shops were so popular that hookahs quickly spread from Turkey to modern day Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, and Morocco, where hookahs were given the name 'nargile'. Hookah bars in the Middle East and western Asia today are a place where people come together for social gatherings and to relax and have a smoke.

Hookah smoking today is a much more social activity than many other smoking varieties. Cigarette smoking is often something engaged in by competitive people who are in a hurry. Smoking a hookah, on the other hand, allows people to sit down, relax, have a drink and a nice conversation.

Shisha Review: Starbuzz Blue Mist

Shisha Review: Starbuzz Blue Mist

There are many flavors of hookah pipe tobacco, or shisha, out there. It can sometimes be hard to pick out the good shisha flavors from the bad ones. I've smoked my fair share of bad shisha, but I've found some great flavors, too.

I bought a tin of Starbuzz Blue Mist shisha last weekend, looking for something a little different. The tin said the flavor was a mix of blueberry and mint. This sounded like a refreshing combination to me.

I got out my favorite new hookah, loaded it with Blue Mist, and put on a couple coals. The shisha burned very smooth and did not get harsh at all. It smoked very well, too, producing big clouds of hookah smoke without having to inhale smoke for very long.

I was surprised at the flavor. In my experience, when mint is mixed with another flavor of shisha, it usually overpowers it. But with Blue Mist, the mint flavor balanced with the blueberry very nicely. Neither flavor overpowered the other. The shisha kept going for nearly two hours, but the smoke had almost lost its flavor by about halfway through the second set of coals.

Blue Mist shisha also mixes very well with other flavors of shisha, because of the mildness of the blueberry and mint mix. I recommend mixing it with a citrus flavor, or something sour.

On the whole, I recommend this shisha. It is one of the better flavors of tobacco I've ever put in my hookah.

How to Choose the Ideal Hookah for Your Lifesyle

Looking for your first hookah pipe can be a bit overwhelming. With so many different varieties of hookahs available, it can be a chore sorting through all the different kinds to find the new hookah that is right for you. There are so many different factors to consider, such as price, height, weight, type, number of hoses, and style. How can the typical consumer possibly expect to make an informed decision with so many different hookah store choices?

Don't get flustered. Don't let a company frustrate or confuse you into buying a hookah that doesn't suit your needs. Start by thinking about what you want your hookah for; do you want to smoke hookah in your living room, or do you want to be able to take it with you? Do you want your hookah to be the centerpiece of the room, or do you just want it to be functional? Are you going to smoke it with other people? How much can you afford to spend? Knowing the answers to these questions will make it much easier for you to choose what kind of hookah you want to buy.

All of these are important things to consider when you buy a hookah. For example, if you want to be able to take your hookah camping with you, you wouldn't want to buy a monster 33" hookah. It would be much more convenient to buy a small hookah, say 14 inches tall, that you could easily take with you when you want to go somewhere. Another thing to consider if you want to buy a hookah to take camping with you is how durable it is, and if it comes with a carrying case. Our hookahs come with some sort of carrying case, and smaller hookahs sometimes have some sort of carry cage, so that you can set it up, but still protect it. Smaller hookahs usually have very thick glass bases, and because of their small size, they don't have far to fall if you accidentally knock one over.

Another important factor to consider is price. Some people are looking for a cheap hookah pipe that is functional, while some others want a limited edition hookah that awes anyone who sees it. Generally speaking, the larger a hookah is, the more expensive it is. If you don't have much money to spend, you will probably want to buy a small hookah, as these usually cost around $70-$80. Large hookahs can cost upward of $200. If you're looking for a quality hookah but don't have a ton of money, your best bet is finding a hookah sale.

Some hookah shops will try to convince you that an Egyptian Hookah is better than, say, a Syrian Hookah. In truth, this makes very little difference by itself. The quality of a hookah is not determined by what style it is, but by who makes it. Some hookah stores are better than others, just as some brands of beer are better than others. You want to choose a brand that has been in the business for a long time, and has a lot of experience making the best products possible.

If you're going to buy a hookah, buy a new hookah. Used hookahs try to seduce you with their lower price, but they aren't worth the bargain. Hookahs do not hold up for very long if not properly maintained, and if they are mistreated they do not smoke as well. Besides, you don't really know who smoked the old one. New hookah pipes are worth the extra price.

One final consideration that you might want to take into account is the number of people that will be smoking hookah in your house. Some hookah pipes come with many hoses, others come with only one, but you can add a hose later to most hookahs. If you're going to smoke with a lot of people, you may be tempted to get a hookah with many hoses. However, many multiple-hose hookahs are designed so that only one person can be smoking at a time. In this case, it is essentially a waste of money to buy a hookah with more than one hose. Many hookah brands have realized that this is a problem, however, and have started to release hookahs that can be smoked from multiple hoses at once. Make sure you check into this if you are going to buy a hookah with more than one hose.

Don't let yourself get dazzled by all the apparently different options available. Simply ask yourself what you want in a new hookah, and get that hookah on sale if you can. That way, you can save a lot of time and money that would have otherwise been spent trying to navigate the sometimes confusing world of hookah shops.