>> Hookah Tobacco; View all

Hookah tobacco burns ina unique way. In a hookah, the mixture of tobacco is not directly burnt, but is heated to a low temperature using lit coals or an electric device (as in Saudi Arabia and other countries of the Persian Gulf). These coals usually rest on a metal mesh or perforated aluminum foil which covers a clay or metal bowl containing the hookah tobacco preparation, although traditional smokers sometimes place the coals directly upon the maassel, producing a stronger smoke. When a user inhales through the hose, pressure differences cause air to rush into the hookah through its only open point - the head where the maassel is lit. This causes the coals to heat up, heating the hookah tobacco in turn, and producing smoke.

The smoke then enters the body of the hookah, and running down through the pipe inside the body it is pulled into a receptacle of water which is affixed (airtight) to the bottom of the device. The receptacle, made of glass or metal, contains water which filters and cools the smoke. This main-pipe goes underneath the waterlevel, and smoke is pulled out through it directly into the water, bubbling back up into the top of the receptacle (the smoke chamber) which is initially empty.

The smoker inhales this smoke through a long hose connected directly to the smoke chamber. The hose is usually either of a metal coil wrapped in cloth, or otherwise a plastic hose, either version often ending with a metal or wooden mouthpiece. The filtration is suggested to filter out, in part, tar and nicotine from the tobacco. However, most brands of hookah tobacco generally contain a mention saying "no tar" and very small amounts of nicotine (.05%). These figures probably refer to measurements carried out using a low-frequency "inhaling" machine (as in the case of shared smoking). Tar production increases with frequency.