Hookahs are also commonly known as shishas, and it involves smoking tobacco that is flavored. Usually, you smoke it from a water pipe in which they pass from a hose, and then you take your puff. The thing with hookah is that it centers around conversations and promotes some kind of “connectedness” among those participating.
Now, hookahs are deeply rooted in cultural tradition, and it has been present throughout many generations of Indian, Persian, Turkish, Egyptian, and other Middle Easterns. It’s a gesture that is both entertaining and relaxing.
Although do you know the history behind this fantastic thing?
In the 16th Century, the first hookah that came in the form we know today dated back to India. It was a time when India began glass manufacturing due to importing said glass through the British East India Company. In this period, smoking tobacco also became popular among the noblemen in that time’s high society, and in an attempt to purify the smoke through the water in a glass base called a “shisha,” hookah was simply invented.
In the 17th Century, hookah also became a part of the culture in Persia. Although they did smoke dark leaf tobacco called “Ajami.” In this era, countless artisans took pride in their aesthetics and redefined the look of the pipe through woodworking.
In the 18th Century, hookah migrated into Turkey, and it continued to blossom through the years and innovation. In this time, offering a hookah to your guest became a meaningful sign of trust, and withholding it could be taken as a severe insult.
In the 19th Century, this tradition spread into the Middle East, and in Egypt, traditional forms of tobacco were seen prior. Some people even mix honey or molasses with tobacco for an extra bit of flavor. These were used as a way for people to relax, socialize and simply strengthen people’s bonds with each other.
In the 20th Century, this tradition continued to deepen in different cultures through India, Peria, Turkey, the Middle East, and other neighboring countries like Israel, Armenia, and Pakistan. Then, hookah has migrated to pretty much every continent as people immigrated all over the world.
In the 21st Century, the hookah industry surfaced in the United States, and different people found ways to improve the products and their quality using modern technology. There were a bunch of different flavors, and its demand today has definitely increased.
Today, hookah has hardly broken from tradition since it’s still revered as a way to show respect and provide good hospitality. If you haven’t tried it, we highly recommend that you do it because it’s an entirely new and different experience. You’ll surely love it too!
If you want to know more about hookahs, and if you want to try one, then visit us at Smoke Alley in Houston, Texas! We’d be more than happy to walk you through the process!