Hookahs are without a doubt one of the most unique and interesting smoking pastimes. For some, smoking hookah is an occasional fun indulgence, while for others it’s a daily relaxing, absolutely must have pleasure. Whichever side of the fence you are on, it’s always better and pretentiously fun to know a few facts about hookahs and hookah smoking. Stuff you can use to show off your brilliance at the next hookah smoking party, gathering, or time spent with other like-minded hookah heads.
So without further ado, here are fifteen historical, fun, and interesting facts about hookahs and hookah tobacco from a tobacco shop in Fort Lauderdale. Some you might already know and others new fun facts!

  1. The first hookah ever invented was made of a coconut shell base and a tube with a head attached.
  2. It’s believed that India was the first country to invent the hookah and its popularity spread to other countries like Iran, Turkey, and most of the Middle East through trade.
  3. The objective behind the invention of hookahs was to have an easy and effective way to smoke opium and hashish.
  4. Today, hookahs are still stigmatized as drug paraphernalia.
  5. Hookah tobacco is often referred to in the US as shisha or shisha tobacco and it is traditionally a mix of tobacco, molasses, and fruit. In Arabic speaking countries, the tobacco is often referred to as Moassal, which simply means Molasses.
  6. Because of the time required to smoke a bowl of shisha, in the 19th century, it was mostly women who indulged in smoking hookahs, while the much busier men were smoking cigarettes.
  7. Hookahs are referred to by many different names depending on the country you are in. In North America its hookah or water pipe. In the Middle East, they are referred to as Sheesha or Argeela. In South Africa, they are awesomely known as Hubbly Bubbly or Okka pipe. In the Maldives, hookahs are known as Gudugudaa and in Albania and surrounding countries, they use Lula or (my personal favorite) Lulava. *(hookah forum.com)
  8. The water in a hookah doesn’t clean the smoke but does cool it down.
  9. Shisha can last for two years after production date and can usually stay fresh for six months after being opened as long as it is stored in an airtight container and kept out of direct sunlight.
  10. Some famous people who are known for smoking Shisha are: Drake, Miley Cyrus, Shaquille O’Neal, UK’s Top Gear guys, and Mike Tyson. *( hookah-shisha.com)
  11. Double Apple and Mint are two of the most popular Shisha flavors in the world.
  12. Hookahs gained popularity in the US in the 1960’s and then were largely forgotten until a few years ago when their popularity with college students hurled them into the mainstream market.
  13. An old but recently popular way to smoke Shisha is to use fruit like pineapples, apples, or oranges as the actual bowl of the hookah. Fun and unique, but can get quite messy and is extremely expensive to get at hookah lounges.
  14. You can blow a hookah bubble using a mixture of soap, water and glycerine and a water bottle cut to about 4 inches.
  15. Today there are many different flavors and producers of “tobacco-free” Shisha. A non-nicotine, herbal alternative to traditional Shisha.

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