Sunday 17 April 2011

hookah water recipe




Spiced Hookah Water

1 stick of cinnamon
5 pieces of whole allspice
3 teaspoons of nutmeg
Combine the spices in boiling water and allow to boil for 10 minutes. Remove it from the heat and let it cool. Strain and pour the spiced water into your hookah base. Add about 5 ice cubes. You could also try using apple juice instead of water. This goes well with double apple shisha


Wild Lettuce Hookah Water
Wild Lettuce is said to induce a dreamlike state and higher consciousness.
click here to find wild lettuce oil
In your hookah base, add 6 drops wild lettuce oil, 6 teaspoons of lemon juice, and 3 teaspoons of lime juice. Fill the rest of your hookah base with water and ice cubes.

Hawaiian Punch Hookah Water
Use equal parts Hawaiian punch, orange juice and 8 finely crushed Altoids to give your shisha a tropical flavor. Add a few ice cubes.

Rum Delicious Hookah Water
Mix rum and coke into the base of your hookah. Keep it cool with some crushed ice. Enjoy your rum delicious "water" with your shisha.

Chocolate Banana Hookah Water
Fill your base with chocolate liquor or if you don't have any you can use chocolate milk. Milk tends to bubble over and come through the hose, so only fill your base about 1/4 of the way with chocolate milk and then the rest of the way with water. Add Banana Shisha to the bowl of your hookah and enjoy.

White Russian Hookah Water
Add coffee liquor, vodka and a small portion of cream or milk into the base of your hookah to create a white Russian. (If you add too much milk or cream it will bubble over and you will get a mouth full through the hose. ) This goes great with a chocolate flavored Shisha.

EXTREME HERB MINT BLAST HOOKAH WATER
Boil fresh crushed mint in a small pot of water for 10 minutes. Allow it to cool, then mix in 8-10 crushed Altoids. Pour the mixture over crushed ice then add to the base of your Hookah, you may also add some mint liquor to give it a further minty blast. Load your bowl and enjoy.

ESKIMO MELON BLOW HOOKAH WATER

Fill your hookah base with ice then cover the ice with melon liquor. This goes very well with Guava Shisha.

Blue Moon Hookah Water
This wonderful hookah recipe is no stranger to those who already enjoy the beer.  If you are not familiar... Blue Moon is a delicious spiced Wheat Ale.  This nice Hookah water goes extremely well with some Orange or citrus flavored shisha.
You will need:
2- 12 oz bottles of Blue Moon
3- oranges peeled and crushed in blender (you can substitute frozen orange juice)
ice
Pour the Blue moon into the bottom of the hookah base add the oranges and ice.  Wonderfully flavorful smoke... great with citrus shisha.

Hot Chocolate Hookah water recipe
This one is definitely different.  Hookah water recipes usually follow the colder is better motive.  This makes the smoke cool and feel very light.  This Hot chocolate recipe warms the smoke and adds a wonderful chocolate flavor to your shisha.
Boil 4 cups of water
Once the water comes to a boil add 4 packets of hot chocolate mix
allow water to cool for about 15 minutes
add some cold water ( this is important if your hookah is glass to prevent cracking)
Pour the mixture in your hookah base.  For the ultimate chocolate hookah experience use chocolate shisha to compliment this Hot Chocolate water recipe!

Citrus Fun Hookah Water
In the base of your hookah, add a handful of ice cubes, about 6 teaspoons of lemon juice and 3 teaspoons of lime juice. Fill the rest of the hookah base with water. This citrus hookah water smokes really well with margarita shisha or a citrus flavored shisha.

Rum & Coke Hookah Water
The classic drink makes a wonderful flavored water for your hookah base.  The recipe is easy.
In your hookah base add:
1/4 spiced rum
3/4 coke
Fill your base with as much ice as will allow.  This hookah water recipe will yield a mellow sweet and delicious flavor.  ENJOY!



how to use a hookah

Fill the base with water or another liquid. 
Assemble your hookah and suck through the mouth piece to make sure you have proper airflow, the liquid in the base should make a bubbling sound. 
You may line your bowl with a square of tin foil to make it easier to clean.
 Poke holes into the tinfoil so it resembles a shower head.
Fill the bowl with the tobacco or herbal shisha, you may combine different tobaccos to create new flavors.
Cover the tobacco with another piece of tinfoil with in it or place a charcoal screen over the bowl.
Light your charcoal over a flame, a gas stove works well. (remember to turn the hood on) If you don't have a gas stove, hold the charcoal with thongs and light it with a lighter. This may take some time. You want the coal to be red hot and ashy.
Use the thongs to transport the coal to the bowl.
You are now ready to smoke  from your hookah. If you must pass the hose to a friend it is proper hookah etiquette to bend the hose up and away from your friend's face.
  


When you are not smoking, plug up the mouth piece to allow your friends to smoke better.


Enjoy smoking the tasty tobacco from your hookah.
  
  
  
 

hookah assembly






This diagram of a brass hookah will help you identify some basic parts to help you assemble a hookah rather easily.  Hookahs can be very elaborate but most will have a few basic parts. 
Bowl- Where shisha is placed and the charcoal on top.
Stem- Allows the shisha smoke to travel from the bowl.
Ash Plate- Collects ash from charcoal.  Mostly decorative on this one, but your hookah may differ.
Gasket - Connects Stem to Base and should be airtight to allow the smoke to reach the base and bubble.
Base - The bottom of the hookah fill with water or other mixtures  to filter the shisha.
Hoses - Connect to the base or sometimes the stem of the hookah and allows you to draw the shisha smoke through.
This is the basic configuration of a hookah.   Have fun and Happy smoking!!

Pleasurable smoke from your hookah

Although there are many different schools of thought on how exactly one should smoke a Hookah, Shisha or Narghile, many of them are correct all at the same time. Here are some steps for setting up a "proper" hookah to receive a pleasant smoking experience. Try experimenting with your own process. Not all hookahs are exactly the same, what with varying sizes and use of material. Furthermore, not all cultures smoke the same way: in Egypt they place coals directly on the unflavored shisha. So experiment and find something that works for you.


1





  1. 1
    Start by putting ice cubes, then water in the vase, filling it 1/2 inch above the tip of the stem that goes down into the vase
    .
      1.  
  2. 2
    Take the tobacco (sprinkle it into the bowl
    . Be sure to not pack it too low to the rim, nor too high. It is important to take care when loading the hookah bowl to ensure that you do not overflow the bowl. If the Shisha is too close to the top, when the coal is applied it will burn the Shisha directly causing an unpleasant smoke. Be sure to not pack the Shisha into the bowl too tightly -- This will restrict airflow.
  3. 3
    Put heavy duty only foil over the top of the bowl, shiny side down. Keep the foil tight as wrinkles somewhat distort the heat distribution. Poke about 15-20 holes with a toothpick (or anything with the same diameter..or even better get some glass screen material as a substitute and bypass the entire foil thing).
  4. 4
    Blow through the hose to clean out any dust or particles that may have settled, don't wash the hose unless you know that it is washable.
  5. 5
    Light the coal. Coals can make or break your hookah experience. Most experienced smokers enjoy the natural light coals instead of the instant-light coals. The reason being is that they ash significantly less, last longer, and do not have an aftertaste. Instant-light coals are good when the situation calls for it (i.e. No stove to light the natural lights, high winds, etc.)
  6. 6
    Place the coal on top of the foil. If the coal is circular place it around the bowl in a circular pattern around the bowl allowing the tobacco to evenly burn. Let the coals sit on top of the hookah until every coal has ash all over. Failure to do this will result in you inhaling the chemicals that make instant-lights ignite so fast.
  7. 7
    (Not a required step) Put ice in the base to make the smoke colder. Don't over fill, just enough to cover the bottom. Fill the vase with ice first, then add water. It is important to make sure that you only fill the vase slightly over 1/2" above the tip of the stem. The reason for this is because once the ice melts, the water level will drop to the desired level.
  8. 8
    (Not a required step)Sometimes you can add items in the base to change the smoke. Adding a small amount of milk (a teaspoon works [for the average sized base] will make the smoke thicker.)
    • Assembly diagram
       Assembly diagram
      Assembly and Maintenance Diagram to help understand the process
  9. 9
    ( Not a required step) Many people believe strongly in what are called "diffusers." Diffusers work a lot like an aerator on a faucet. It is placed over the stem and submerged so it is around 1/4 of an inch below the surface. Diffusers allow for more smoke to accumulate more water vapor, creating a tastier, smoother smoke.

editTips

  • Hookah smoke should be thick and white, such smoke indicates you have prepped and are smoking the Hookah correctly.
  • If the smoke ever becomes harsh , take the bowl off with a towel (It will be hot), and blow into the hookah. This will clear the vase/chamber of the smoke. (Some hookahs come with purge valves, and another way to do this with a 2+ hose hookah is take a hose off and blow through.)
  • A well packed bowl with good tobacco can last you a good 45 minutes, perhaps 30 minutes with some friends. The coals might last from 20 minutes up to an hour depending on type and brand.
  • Try different flavours and brands of shisha tobacco, some give you a much more pleasant and thick smoke than others.
  • Try different brands of shisha tobacco to find the one that you like best at a reasonable price, but don't be afraid to buy more expensive brands of the tobacco, particularly for special occasions.
  • Feel free to mix different flavors together, mixing and matching flavors is one of the great joys of a true hookah aficionado. A few suggestions would be apple-mango, banana-mango-pineapple, and lemon-mint.
  • To help in providing an even burn and avoid foil burn, try breaking the coal up into smaller pieces, place them on the outer edges and rotate them around the bowl while moving them steadily inwards. It can be a little tricky to break the coal up evenly but it is definitely worth the time and effort.
  • Cutting up the tobacco may help a lot in packing the bowl correctly and maintaining an even burn, use a simple pair of kitchen shears. Not too fine or the tobacco will fall in through the holes of the bowl and can occasionally clog up the stem.
  • If the tobacco is dry, revive it by adding some honey or molasses to it and mixing it in, good when you're in a bind.
  • If you want to make your own shisha, check out the related wikiHow on how to make apple tobacco.
  • For any of you who want to elevate your hookah experience, here's a tip: try using a piece of fruit for a bowl (such as an apple or an orange). It definitely boosts the flavour and, surprisingly enough, the session tends to last longer than it would with a traditional clay bowl. Here's a step by step guide:
    1. find a circular fruit such as an apple, mango, orange or whatever you can get your hands on.
    2. Cut the top of the fruit off and leave about 3/4 of the fruit.
    3. Dig into the fruit with a spoon till about 1/4 of the fruit is left intact. (leaving the sides thicker would be ideal for better taste and a better burn).
    4. Use either a corkscrew or any sharp and thin object to force a hole in the bottom.
    5. Now, within the core of the fruit, poke many holes through the hole in the bottom to make the smoke holes. the more you make, the easier it'll be to suck in later on.
    6. Stick the fruit on the stem, pack the fruit with shisha tobacco, and cover with foil.
  • To clean your hookah, dip a rag into vinegar and push it through the stem with the lower half of a fishing pole or other stick. As for the vase, soaking it with warm water and soap for a bit, as well as a very thorough rinsing after wards is your best bet. Clean the stem around once a week and the vase once a month or so.
  • For a different smoking experience, you might consider trying to use a glass bowl and screen. Using a glass screen between the tobacco and the coals eliminates the need for tinfoil and does not produce the metallic taste.
  • A thicker grade of foil will distribute heat better throughout the bowl, the foil will also be less likely to burn.
  • Try shopping around for a funnel bowl, it will lengthen the session and allow for a cooler and more flavourful smoke.
  • Another great addition to your hookah accessory repertoire is a larger diameter hose, allowing for a more smoke to flow with less pulling
  • Experiment with different coals to find the right configuration for you. Be it Japanese, quicklight or natural wood coals, each has their own advantages and disadvantages.
  • In many Middle Eastern countries they will use a base of milk or juice to enhance the flavor and thickness of the smoke. Standard procedure at Ali Baba's Hookah Bar (est. 1760 in Istanbul) is 1/3 parts milk/juice to 2/3 parts water
  • More smaller holes is better than fewer large ones. With smaller holes less ash falls in the bowl and you lower the chance of a burning piece of coal falling into your bowl which will cause it to burn. Use a pin or a thumb tack.
  • before adding another piece of coal to add thickness to your smoke, place a windprotector/shield on the bowl first. This will evenly raise the temperature and lower the chance of the bowl burning too hot.

editWarnings

  • Although a 45 minute hookah session is roughly equivalent to 2.5 cigarettes in terms of nicotine, the point here is that a hookah lasts 45 minutes, whereas a cigarette usually doesn't last for more than 5; you do the math.
  • Do not use b.b.q. coals as they produce an excess amount of carbon monoxide which may cause headaches and can (unlikely though it may be) result in death. Use commercial hookah coals, either quick light or natural, for smoking a pleasant hookah.
  • Always use the tongs that come with most Hookahs to light or move your coals, don't use kitchen tongs which may have been coated in a polymer to provide a non-stick coating for food prep and easy cleaning.
  • Do not breathe in during the burning of the chemicals in quick-lighting coals. The chemicals contain various carcinogens and other unhealthy substances.
  • Some flavours of shisha tobacco(like cappuccino) might be of such a strong flavour that the taste might stay behind in your hookah even after cleaning.
  • Talk to the salesperson or someone you know who has experience and similarities in tastes about a certain brand or flavour.
  • If possible, buy a small 50g pack to see if you like it.
  • Shisha tobacco flavour may be completely dominated by other aspects of the shisha (such as the rosewater, true of many low-key flavours). With such shisha tobacco flavours, what you're left with is a soapy tasting smoke in your lungs and mouth.
  • Watch excessive inhaling as a beginner, as you will easily become light headed from the smoke and/or start coughing.
  • Hookah is not a safe alternative to cigarettes, cigars, or any other type of tobacco product. Use with your own discretion.

  • Hookah
  • Water
  • Shisha tobacco
  • Ice can be used to make for a more pleasurable smoking session.
  • Coals
  • Tongs
  • Foil
  • Toothpick

hookah

Hookahs are water pipes for smoking tobacco. Hookahs are usually smoked in a social way with two or more people enjoying the experience.   Hookah tobacco are usually fruit flavored and are more natural than the chemical based tobacco common in American cigarettes. Hookahs originated in India and spread in popularity throughout the en as it was a way for socialization inside the home.
Hookah has been a misunderstood way to smoke.  Older movies showed many shady characters who would be sitting around a hookah up to no good but in recent years the trend has resurfaced and hookahs are becoming more common.  Hookah Lounges are gaining in popularity in the world especially in the United States as an alternative to the bar scene.  Lounges offer many flavors of Shisha for the smokers to enjoy in a relaxed middle east especially with womatmosphere for patrons to unwind.  Most patrons will also own their own hookah for their more intimate gatherings of close friends.

Shisha is smoked through indirect heat from a piece of charcoal which is ignited on a screen or aluminum foil which is placed on top of the tobacco in the bowl.  The smoke is drawn through hoses extended from the base which is filled with a liquid to compliment the shisha. The liquid in the base cools and filters the smoke allowing those around the hookah to enjoy a smoke which is not harsh and full of flavor.  The set up is very ritualistic and a relaxing event for the smokers. 

 Smoking sessions will last 30 minutes or more and are more of a highlight of a get together.  It is not uncommon for hookah to be the reason for the get together as you would invite some friends over for a movie or some drinks.

Shisha is available in a wide array of flavors and some more adventurous hookah smokers will experiment with mixing flavors to come up with their favorite shisha recipe. Hookah smoking is as unique as the people around the pipe.  Do not be afraid to try many different ideas for mixing the tobaccos the only limit is your imagination.  Have fun and experiment!!!