Hookah

One of our grab questions that was submitted by a curious visitor was that if I smoke tobacco out of a hookah? To simply answer the question, my response is instantly yes. However, the type of tobacco that I use per the hookah alters compared to cigarette tobacco. The product used inside of hookah is called “shisha” or hookah tobacco. The following type of tobacco is most commonly flavored with fruits scents and is mixed with honey and glycerine. Shisha is the only type of product I recommend to be used with a hookah. Any other tobacco and substance may burn quickly and not even work inside a hookah. In addition, other types of tobacco also ruin the hookah because it produces tar and other residue and smell that rarely leaves the hookah.

We have recently updated the look and feel of our hookah blog. The reason for the update is to make the site a lot easier to navigate for our visitors. If you have yet check out our blog site, it includes tobacco reviews, hookah tutorials and information about types of hookahs. The blog was developed for all types of hookah users and anyone seeking information about hookahs to log on and learn. I urge everyone to visit the site and also feel free to contact me with your feedback. Please subscribe to our RSS feed to receive updates from “The Genie”.

In Los Angeles, CA, there is a small village named Westwood. Westwood Village is most popularly home to UCLA, and it is also home to many Iranian-Americans, who immigrated to the states in 1979 after the Iranian Islamic revolution. The street is filled with Persian shops from antique stores to grocery stores to Persian restaurants. In the last 10 years, hookah has become very popular amongst the younger generation, so a lot of cafes in the village have changed their business model to serve hookahs.

One of the first hookah bars that opened in Westwood is Gypsy Cafe. What once started as a family business to serve Mediterranean Food has evolved into a very popular hang out spot for college students and locals alike. Directly across the street from Gypsy Cafe is home to Habibi Cafe. Though they both serve hookah, there clientele is quite different. Each hookah bar serves its own unique blend of shisha. Each menu has different flavors and brands of tobacco to cater to each individual’s preference. Furthermore, just south of the Westwood Village on the Westwood Blvd nestles about 5 other small hookah bars. In closing, if you are ever visiting Los Angeles, definitely stop at one of these hookah bars and enjoy the atmosphere. 

The tradition of Cinco de Mayo orginated in California during the 1860s after Mexico broke away from French rule. In the USA, Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a holiday where Americans embrace the Mexican culture. Most importantly, Americans and Mexican immigrants celebrate the joyous day by commemorating the events of Mexican-Americans leading to their liberation. The holiday is quite similar to the same nature of St. Patrick’s Day where individuals spend the day drinking and partying. In Los Angeles, CA a lot of parties and celebrations are thrown in the metropalitan city. People fill the streets with their children and parade and cheer for their leaders who made it possible for them to live in the land of opportunity. In our capitalist society, many advertisers seek the opportunity to promote their brands and market Mexican products Americans. We hope everyone has a safe holiday and enjoy blowing hookah tricks.

As you become a more avid hookah collector, you get the urge to purchase different types of hookahs. Amongst the several types of hookahs are 2 hose hookahs that include two hose valves for multiple people smoking shisha out of a hookah. I really like two hose hookahs because it is the perfect hookah to smoke with about 6 people without having to wrap the hose around the hookah or keep rotating the base as you pass the hose. The 2 hose hookah does not allow too much smoke to escape the hookah and it is very air tight. The reason why I am mentioning this is because multiple hose hookahs greater than 2 have a tendency to let out of smoke and it is not that air tight because users do not cover the hose when they are suppose to and the multiple air valves make it more likely for the smoke to escape and consequently do not make the smoke potent and deteriorates the experience. With that said, it is crucial to keep your finder over the tip of the hose as the individual across from you puffs away. Multiple hose hookahs are designed for more experienced hookah smokers as the process becomes a bit more advanced. Besides that a 2 hose hookah is a great invention because it creates a memorable experience.

I want to state to all of our visitors that we are on Twitter and we urge everyone to follow us. We update our Twitter with tweets through out the day. Besides email, twitter is the best way to get a hold of us.

Ways that Hookah Genie uses Twitter:

• Answer hookah questions
• Recommend types of hookahs and shishas
• Interact with Hookah enthusiasts
• Suggest what is best paired with shisha flavors
• Provide news feed about hookah
• Links to our hookah blog posts
• Much much more

Follow us today @hookahgenie and even DM us and introduce yourself. Don’t be shy. I want our team of experts to be there for you to enhance your experience at all times.

Inhale the smoke…duh! j/k. There is no right or wrong of smoking hookah. It’s very similar to smoking a cigar in the way that you don’t deeply inhale the smoke to get the buzz. I typically take a 3 seconds intake of smoke and let it out right after. I do not inhale the smoke nor do I let it out my nose.

I also take about 5 hits of the hookah and then pass it down the same order I received the hose. It is considered rude if you pass it back the opposite direction because the next person in line was anticipating the hose. In addition, I do not just hand the hose to the person who is next. What? You do not pass the hose right over? Yes, that’s correct. I fold the tip of the hose about 3-5 inches towards the body of the hose and then pass it over. There are few hookah etiquette rules that I abide by at all times and that’s amongst one of them.

Furthermore, after I pass the hookah to the next person, I patiently wait for the hose. I do not intercept the hose at anytime and I allow everyone to equally get their hookah. It is not hard at all to smoke hookah, but just some rules or should I say traditional ways of conducting hookah.

Have you ever wondered what are the names of the background music played at hookah bars? Have you ever tried to find what types of songs are the best complimented with hookah? Hands down, the answer has to be Middle Eastern music. Ironically, the hookah is most popular in the Middle East, and henceforth, the best type of music is from the native country, where hookah is smoked as a tradition.

The types of music I recommend are the following:

• Arabic
• Persian
• Israeli
• Turkish
• House

The five genres listed above definitely enhance your hookah experience. The last choice may surprise you, but put on some chill house music and feel what I am talking about. I recommend the Buddha Bar albums because they are designed for individuals who enjoy to relax. On the contrary, Arabic, Persian, Israeli and Turkish music are a lot more loud and geared towards making you dance, especially Arabic. Hookah bars more commonly play Arabic music and sometimes hire a belly dancer on the premises to dance to the music. Please stay tuned in future post as I will reveal the names of popular songs that you should enjoy with your hookah session.

Hookah during the summer time is an amazing experience. After a long day of work in the heat, the weather cools in the evening and it calls for a hookah session after an individual is complete with dinner and on all his or her daily tasks. The summer night breeze with your favorite shisha flavor hits the spot. The flavors that are great for summer are citrus and fruit flavors. The hookah is complimented with an ice cold drink as well. Fresh squeezed watermelon juice goes great with your experience. In addition, hookah background music is an added touch to the whole experience. I will be covering later in my post about the best type of hookah background music. In conclusion, it is important to remember to smoke during times of joy. Summer time is a great time for this event because it is nostalgic to great times.