ETIQUETTE OF THE HOOKAH HOSE

Traditionally it was not all varieties of tobacco that were used for smoking in the hookah. Originally it was only the raw dark tobacco that was produced in Iran and Turkey that was used in the hookah pipe. This tobacco was so strong that the preparation of it involved washing the tobacco several times before use as it was extremely strong. In addition to this the only coals that were ever used for the lighting of the hookah was charcoal that came from oak wood and this used to be placed directly on the tobacco as opposed to having the smoking material and coals separated by a screen as is the way today. Furthermore, even though the adding of flavours to the smoking mix is a relatively recent development, one that has occurred of the the past few decades, experienced hookah smokers in the past often experimented with flavours, adding certain fruits, like grapes and berries, to the water vase.

This was then expanded to the use of juices mixed in with the water such as the extract of pomegranate, or even certain varieties of essential oil in order to add flavour to the smoke. The hookah has always been something of a ritual for all communities who have taken it into their culture. It has always centred around socialising, and taking time, this is one of the most pronounced differences between the hookah smoker and the cigarette smoker. Indeed it is well documented that it was very bad form for a person to use the coals of the hookah to light their cigarette as it was felt that one disturbed the rhythm and pace of the other and they should both be kept separate.

When smoking in a group with more than one stem connected to the hookah you always had to remember to plug your mouthpiece with your finger or thumb while not smoking as the loss of vacuum makes it difficult for the others in the group to use their own mouthpieces. In addition, when there are not enough hoses to go around placing yours to the side indicates that it is available for another person to use, or alternatively offering it to the person beside you is also considered correct. In the 19th and twentieth centuries the hookah became synonymous with class and intellectual aspirations, it became the fashionable thing to have in your house during a social gathering. It also was very much in vogue at the time to be photographed next to a hookah pipe.