Shisha tobacco, anyone?

[Canadiens1131]

Does anyone here smoke shisha, or know what it is? I was pretty oblivious to this before heading off to university a few years ago.

Basically it's flavoured tobacco, usually smoked in a large hookah heated with charcoal. At least here in Montreal, it's a pretty popular social activity among young urbanites, moreso among the large Middle Eastern population.

I know this is crazy-popular in Paris as well, but a lot of my friends from the States don't know what the heck it is.`

 

[Sicy]

I've heard of it. I have actually smoked flavored cigarettes before but didnt really care for them. I suppose if you dont like the taste of regular tobacco this would be quite popular.

 

[zonelistener]

Hookah bars have grown in popularity in the states in urban areas over the last five years.

 

[impy13]

I've been smoking shisha since 2005. My freshman year, my friends and I would head up to the hookah lounge more or less every Monday night. This past semester, one of my roommate's bought a hookah, so we had that going in the living room pretty much constantly. That entire semester, I'd say I smoked at least two or three bowls a day. Since I'm back home for the summer, I haven't since I left Austin. I'm living with the same guy next year, though, so I'm sure it will resume at the same pace.



There is a head shop on the Drag where we would get our shisha, trying pretty much every kind and flavor they had to offer. Al-Waha Orange Cream mixed with Kiwi is a delectable combination. Al-Waha also has one called California Dream that is great on its own or mixed with a softer flavor. After trying all sorts of things you can imagine, I'm pretty partial to fruit flavors and fruit flavors only now.


Mike, do you have your own hookah or are you just going to hookah bars?

 

[BoMac]

Does anyone here smoke shisha, or know what it is? I was pretty oblivious to this before heading off to university a few years ago.

Basically it's flavoured tobacco, usually smoked in a large hookah heated with charcoal. At least here in Montreal, it's a pretty popular social activity among young urbanites, moreso among the large Middle Eastern population.

I know this is crazy-popular in Paris as well, but a lot of my friends from the States don't know what the heck it is.`

Well this is funny because at about the very same time you posted this, Mike, I was reminiscing with a friend about the first time I smoked some shisha. We passed by a store with a wall of hookah pipes.

I had a Lebanese friend years ago who invited me to her birthday party. This is where I first got my taste of shisha—and I loved it. I'm not a smoker (only ever tried a cigarette once) but I really liked the taste and texture of shisha, for whatever reason.

One of the funniest sights I've ever seen is my friend's 90-year old grandmother sitting in the corner by herself clutching her hookah pipe tightly, smoking the shisha like there's no tomorrow. You had to be there I guess.

I haven't had it since this time (I think it was 1999).

 

[BoMac]

Mike, do you have your own hookah or are you just going to hookah bars?

There's something about this line that kills me but I can't quite put my finger on it.

 

[impy13]

It would be better if I was from the Northeast.

 

[Cleasai]

They're quite popular here. I even know of a few people who oen thier own Hookahs. I understand they can be quite messy and smelly though.

 

[Mr. BAW]

They're quite popular here. I even know of a few people who oen thier own Hookahs. I understand they can be quite messy and smelly though.

Shisha and hookahs impact your spelling cells....

 

[LMP]

Is this as bad as smoking cigarettes, or am I being horribly oblivious?

 

[Canadiens1131]

Mike, do you have your own hookah or are you just going to hookah bars?

I've had my own hookah in varying forms over the last couple of years by the fact that I've had at least one roommate with one.

Currently one of my roomies for the summer has a huge one, and I'm contemplating buying one of those dreadnoughts with a rotating upper part with three mouthpieces for the fall

 

[impy13]

That would actually be a good investment. We always find ourselves wishing we had more hoses (my roommate's has two) when a large group is around.


LMP, from what I've heard, it's just as bad as cigarettes. What you have to factor in, though, is that shisha contains trace amounts of nicotine. Like I said, I haven't smoked shisha since mid-May after having smoked two or more bowls a day for months prior. I haven't once had a craving. With cigarettes, you've got that addicition, not to mention the fact that cigarette smokers probably smoke a hell of a lot more than shisha smokers (that's not a fact, it's an educated guess).


Anyway, something I really like doing is slicing a piece of fruit, mostly oranges, in half and cutting out all but a little of the fruit. Then I put a few large holes in the bottom of the fruit and place the shisha inside of it, then placing it inside of the bowl. If you're using a fruit that compliments the shisha flavors well, it can have spectacular results.

 

[LMP]

Hmm, thanks for the info.

 

[VertigoGal]

Hookah bars (usually part of Persian restaurants) are really popular here especially because most of them will let teens smoke without caring about age. I've smoked sisha once and didn't think it was anything special but I want to try different flavors and a different place around here that supposedly has more intense flavors/combinations. I know tons of people that smoke sisha fairly often and none of them have experienced any issues even bordering on nicotine dependance.

 

[redhotswami]

my favorite flavors are orange, lemon, and grape

 

[Canadiens1131]

I'm a green apple kind of guy

 

[redhotswami]

really? i don't think it tastes like apples at all. i think it tastes like licorice

 

[Canadiens1131]

Yeah but you have to go to the shisha bar with a brown person (her words not mine!) so she can talk to the manager and get the good stuff

 

[redhotswami]

 

[love_u2_adam]

no they aren't popular in alberta..smoking is huge though ive seen a few at parties but not many people when know what they are.