How to smoke a hookah by all the rules and avoid possible mistakes in its preparation

Hookah - a special device for smoking, home to which is the Middle East. On how to smoke a hookah by all the rules, we will tell in our article.

The first stage of the fascinating process

So, you bought a hookah and want to enjoy a leisurely smoking of fragrant tobacco at home. In principle, varieties of "hukki" - that's what the hookah is called - a great variety. There are big and small appliances, there are also giant ones, which several people can smoke at once. You can cook a hookah on plain water, and you can add wine (add, not use it in its pure form), cognac or other alcohol. Also there is a great variety of fragrant tobacco for hookah - from classic apple, peach or cherry to exotic, like banana flavor. No less popular is tobacco "a mixture of fruit flavors." Coal for hookah, too, is different, but the best is considered coconut or wood of lemon tree. If you can not find one, buy one that is designed for quick ignition of barbecues and fires. So, now about how to smoke a hookah.

"We warm up" the coals

To ensure that the tobacco does not burn and the taste of the hookah was not too strong (such that it is simply impossible to inhale the smoke), you need to properly prepare the coals. To do this, it is best to take pieces of small size, so that on the bowl (on the foil) for the tobacco they were placed 2-3 pieces. The easiest way to light a charcoal for a hookah is as follows: put the necessary number of pieces on the plate's hotplate, turn on the gas for medium power and wait 8-10 minutes. During this time, the coals will become a little white. This means that they are ready for use. Special pincers, which usually come complete, red-hot pieces should be put on perforated foil. By the way, there is also a special silvery paper for hookahs, already with small holes on it, besides, it is thicker. But you can take the usual (or foil from chocolate) and pierce small holes in it with a knife or fork. They should not be much: for a silvery covering of a medium-sized bowl, usually 15-20 small holes are enough.

How to smoke a hookah properly

So, you can start. At first there will be a little smoke: the tobacco is still slightly moist and while it burns badly, but after a couple of minutes it will dry up and the process will go properly. By the way, if you feel that you can not inhale the smoke, because it has become too tart and bitter, remove a couple of coals, this will help. And if, on the contrary, there is little smoke - lay some more coal. Over time, you will find the right combination and will know better than any experts and the process of how to smoke a hookah, and how to determine the right amount of tobacco and coal. But newcomers make several typical mistakes, so smoking a hookah for them turns into a real meal - smoke just does not go. Next, we'll talk about how to avoid this.

Why hookah is not lit: possible mistakes

If you did everything right, then in a couple of minutes you can fully enjoy the aroma of hookah tobacco. But it also happens that the device, as they say, does not work - smoke from the mouthpiece does not go. Why? There are several reasons for this:

1. Check whether the rubber gaskets between the water bowl and the hookah itself allow air to pass through. For this, it may be necessary to assemble and disassemble the smoking device again, carefully fixing all possible "leaks".

2. You poured too much water into the bowl - in this case smoking a hookah is possible, but the smoke will not be as much as with the correct filling of the vessel (usually the liquids are poured one third, at most half).

3. You are not warmed up enough coal - if the pieces do not reach the right temperature, how should the tobacco burn? .. This is one of the main mistakes of newcomers who are still learning the art of how to light a hookah by all the rules.

4. And the last thing: you could notice that the tobacco itself is in the package in a slightly wet state, when you put it in the bowl, you need to squeeze it lightly with your hands. Otherwise it will be extremely difficult to smoke.

Thus, even if you theoretically know how to smoke a hookah, but are new to this business, the above list will help to avoid typical mistakes, as a result of which you can easily and quickly organize the process.

Rules of smoking hookah in the East: what can and can not be

To begin with, the tradition of smoking a hookah is old enough, and in the Middle East such pastime is extremely popular. But there are a few nuances and rules that a tourist needs to know, because a violation of the original "hookah" etiquette can be considered as a disrespect to the seated. So:

• It is strictly forbidden to light a cigarette from the coals of hookah.
• Passing the mouthpiece to another smoker, do not be surprised if he slaps you slightly on the arm - this is only a way of expressing gratitude. Do the same.
• In all establishments where hookah is served, one-off mouthpieces are offered with it for hygiene purposes. They are used to use, and it is very unseemly to pass the hookah to another person without taking off their disposable mouthpiece.

And, of course, if you ordered one hookah (as is customary in the East) for a few people, do not smoke it alone more than 4-5 minutes. Others are waiting for their turn, and no less than you like to breathe fragrant smoke. In our article we told how to light a hookah by all the rules. Now you can invite your friends home and arrange a kind of party in the oriental style.