Review: Flavor - Vanilla Mint

I'm gonna keep this short and sweet, and minty! When in doubt, Vanilla and Mint. 

Start: 

Mint from Al Fahker. 1/2 of the bowl.

• To add a little more of a refreshing feel, I added Mint. It has a really nice cooling effect on your throat. 

Vanilla from Al Fahker. 1/2 of the bowl.

• Vanilla from Al Fahker has a sort of cake batter smell to it, but smokes well and gets slightly deluded when combining with other shishas. 

Flavor: Vanilla Mint is a simple Vanilla and Mint. There's no other way to really describe it because it tastes exactly how you would expect. 

Smoke Quality: Al Fakher is a cheap shisha, but the smoke is actually pretty thick, if you pack your bowl correctly. 

Hookah Tips and Tricks: Cleaning Your Hose

So I JUST discovered this technique like 5 minutes ago and I had to share it with you guys. 

My basic Starbuzz hose is a super nice hose. I have had it for a couple months and I couldn't think of a good way to clean it out. I started getting residue in my mouth and I could tell the whole thing was dirty. I did a little research and I found the perfect way to get your hookah tasting brand new.

SWING YOUR HOSE. 

That's it! Take the hose by the center, and swing one end at a time. Just whip it around in a circle for a couple minutes, then blow it out really hard. You'll see all the nasty grime shoot out, so make sure you blow it on a towel or in the sink. Just do that before every session, and I guarantee you will not want to pass that hose to your friends!

If you have any other ways to clean your hose, please comment below!

Hookah Tips and Tricks: The Fan

If you have a small, 10 dollar coil burner from the drugstore like me, you'd know that they take a little time to heat up the coals. To speed up the process, I would always blow on them once they sparked, because obviously AIR MAKE FIRE BIG.

I was sitting in my boyfriend's room, it started getting really hot because of the burner, and other electronics in the room, so we had the fan going. I was staring at the fan, and then at the burner, and it finally clicked after months and months of lighting coals on the burner next to the fan... point the fan at the coals.

We discovered that it heats the coals in almost half the time, not to mention it keeps them bright red for a decent amount of time. When they start to fade or get ashy, just take the fan again and blow them right off the top of the head! 

If you have any questions or new tips and tricks, leave a comment below!

Review: Flavor - "Baja Cream"

This is going to be my first review on hookah flavors. I'd like to start with this one, "Baja Cream" because it is the mix that I am smoking right now. Baja Cream is a pretty simple flavor, but packs a cute, little punch. 

I also used my medium sized standard Khalil Mamoon bowl that came with my Khalil Mamoon 38" hookah. 

Start:

Baja Blue from Social Smoke. 

• I just recently discovered Social Smoke's tobacco about two or three weeks ago. There's a little smoke shop near Everett, WA that has the best selection of shisha,and they finally added Social Smoke's products. 
• Baja Blue has a sort of tangy, blueberry taste, mixed with a refreshing icy taste. It's a little strange to describe, but if you smoke it, you'll know what I mean by icy. 

Mint from Al Fahker. 1/5 of the bowl

• To add a little more of a refreshing feel, I added Mint. It has a really nice cooling effect on your throat. 

Vanilla from Al Fahker. 3/10 of the bowl. 

• Vanilla is really good at tying flavors together. If you have a flavor that is really potent in smell, chances are it's going to be overwhelming to smoke. Vanilla is one of those flavors that can sort of make it smooth.
• Vanilla from Al Fahker has a sort of cake batter smell to it, but smokes well and gets slightly deluded when combining with other shishas. 

Flavor: Overall, Baja Cream has a smooth, but tangy, blueberry flavor to it. With the vanilla and mint, it adds that perfect softness to the in your face Baja Blue. 

Smoke Quality: Social Smoke is actually known for having really good smoke. Al Fahker is a little questionable, but mixed together with mostly Social Smoke, the clouds are huge. It may take a few minutes to get toasty and actually start heating up, but when it does, you will have a head that produces large clouds that last for 35-65 minutes. 

If you have any questions or suggestions, please comment below!

The Parts to a Hookah

Alright, let's talk parts.

Base - The base is usually made from glass. It may be clear, blue, green, or another color, generally with beautiful designs and patterns. The shape of the base can also vary. The base is the most eye-catching part on a hookah. It is the part that holds the water. 

Stem - The stem is pretty much what makes the whole thing  work. It is the hallow, often metal tube that carries smoke from the head of the hookah, to the base. It is important to keep it clean because any build-up inside the stem can affect the taste of the smoke.

Hose - Obviously the hose is the part you inhale from, allowing the smoke to be pulled down to the base, filtered and cooled through the water, and out the hose into your lungs. Grommets are made from rubber and fit into the hose part to keep the hose from leaking when you draw in smoke.

Purge Valve - This part does not come on every hookah. The purpose of the purge valve is to empty the base of stale smoke. You simply blow through the hose and the old smoke rolls out. 

Tray - The tray is used to hold extra coals. It is also used to ash the coals and sometimes you can latch the tongs on the side. 

Bowl - Last but not least, the bowl is the part of the hookah that holds the shisha tobacco. It is typically made from clay or ceramic and comes in different sizes and styles. A cool bowl to try is the vortex bowl because it keeps the juices from the tobacco from leaking down into the stem. The bowl should be washed after every use and occasionally scrubbed down. 

How the hookah works:

After filling the base with water and inserting the stem and hose, you need to load your bowl. Decide on which flavor(s) you want to smoke and prepare your bowl. After the hookah has been assembled and the coals are ready to go, it is time to smoke! As you pull in through the hose, air flows through the charcoal and heats the tobacco. The heated tobacco's smoke continues down the stem and is let out in the base. Air bubbles filled with smoke start to burst inside the vase and the chamber fills with smoke. When you inhale deeply, you can feel your lungs fill up with smoke. All that's left is exhaling the smoke, and enjoying your hookah experience. 

History: The Origin of the Hookah

Where did the hookah come from?

So there are a bunch of various names for the hookah, most of which are of Indian, Turkish, Arab, and Persian origin. "Narghile" is from the Persian word nārgil, meaning "coconut", which was chosen because the original narghile was made from coconut shells.

The actual origins of the hookah pipe are split in many different directions. The main countries trying to take a claim to the hookah are India, Iran, Turkey, Egypt, and Syria. What most likely happened was each of these countries, and probably more, had their own form of water pipe. As traders traveled on the ancient trades routes, the different forms evolved together to form what we know as a standard hookah stack. 

How popular were hookahs in history?

Smoking hookah is one of the oldest traditions in Turkey. Both men and women find great pleasure in smoking the water pipe. The original hookah came from India (supposedly), but was found rather primitive because it was made with a coconut shell. Smoking hookah quickly spread over the Arab world, but it completed its revolution in Turkey, and has not changed its style in over a few hundred years.

When the water pipe made its way over, Turkish craftsmen found a new way to display their skills. They started engraving the hookah bases and stems with beautiful designs. Some included white or colorful flasks that appeared as if they were made of crystallized ice. They also engraved fruits and flowers onto the vases. 

The hookah was popular with the elite ladies of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries that it began to be photographed. Obviously the hookah's popularity declined dramatically when the cigarette became available. 

Are hookahs still popular today?

The hookah made its first appearance in Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. You know, the caterpillar that blows O's!

Hookah smoking has recently become popular in the United States. It's really popular around the college and university settings, where hookahs are viewed as a safer alternative to cigarettes. Most people who smoke hookah view it as a social activity and not a habit; it appeals more than cigarettes. A lot of Westeners actually use hookahs for smoking marijuana because they believe that the unwanted toxins are filtered through the water.

A hookahs ability to produce pleasant smoke has lead a lot of people to believe that smoking hookah is less detrimental to one's health than most other methods of smoking tobacco. Unlike cigarettes, which is the igniting and burning of tobacco, hookahs produce a dense, flavorful smoke by heating moistened tobacco. 

Leave any questions or opinions in the comments!

Introduction: Meet the Writer

Hello!

I would like to start off my first post by thanking you for visiting my blog, and by introducing myself.

My name is Amanda, I am 21 years old. I met my first hookah about 5 years ago, in high school. I didn't think much of it, in fact, I really didn't like smoking all that much. I remember my friend filling the base with water, and carrying out the stem and setting it all up. I watched him put too much water in, pack the bowl too tight, put the foil on too loose, and not put enough coals (the nasty quick lite coals) on the head. Now I thought that was how they were prepared, so I didn't question the kid. 

I later found out that I am somewhat of a hookah expert, and got the opportunity to teach my friends how to make the perfect hookah. 

Goals

My main goal right now is to continue perfecting my heads and my smoking experiences for my friends. 

I also aspire to start up my own hookah bar in Washington state!

Purpose

The purpose for this blog is to teach people who want to learn, about hookah. I want to share my knowledge on technique, and preparation. I also want to brag about my mad skills, and the hookahs, accessories, and flavors I have and will purchase. 
I would like to review different flavors and eventually, when I can afford it, different hookahs and potentially move into vape and other ebowls and pens. 

I encourage comments and questions!