Chitika

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

What is a Hookah Bar?

By John McCree


Hookahs were first introduced in the U.S. in the 70's, however, it wasn't until lately that they started to grow in popularity. Simply put, a hookah bar is a commercial establishment where people share shisha tobacco by using a smoking device called a "hookah". One can effortlessly locate hookah bars near universities and colleges and in very populated urban areas.

The History of Hookah and Hookah Bars

Hookah and the idea of hookah bars originated 500 years ago in the subcontinent near where currently is the border of India and Pakistan. Hookah bars are principally associated with the middle east since it was the origin of hookah and the area from where hookah gained a lot of popularity. Hookah bars became popular in the Middle East as the places where patrons used to socialize and smoke hookah with others.

Characteristics of Hookah Bars

Bars that are designed to imitate the region of origin of hookah have generally Arab people running them. The furnishings are in line with the Middle Eastern culture of Indian culture. A few bars only offer hookah. But some multifunctional bars offer snack foods, coffee and sodas too. The vast majority of smaller lounges do not have a liquor license and they do not serve liquor. However, in larger towns, many trendier establishments serve alcohol, usually with a full bar available for cocktails, wine, and beer. It isn't uncommon to see belly dancers, live bands, or DJs in the more upscale urban hookah bars because they look like a "night club" more closely than a neighborhood social establishment.

Hookah bars that are close to institutions are more casual and draw in a lot of students. The trend has become popular as a less hazardous alternative to other kinds of smoking. Also, since college years are usually a time of new experiences, frequent social interaction, and building strong connections, the hookah lounge lends itself well to college life. There has been a surge in the number and popularity of hookah bars in cities, which are renowned for their secondary education institutions in the U.S.

Let's Discuss a Hookah

You want to know what a hookah is? A Persian physician, Abul-Fath-Gilani invented the hookah in 1588. He was in India then. The Indians referred to the device as a "huqqa", a title which has stayed with it through history, even though it is referred to as a great many other names such as "nargile," "shisha," and "hubble-bubble" to name a few.

The first hookah was made from coconut shells and it was nothing like the hookahs that are produced in the present day, but the function of that hookah was same of purifying smoke by passing it through water. Here are the main parts of a hookah:

1. Bowl - to keep the tobacco.

2. Body - the smoke leaves the body and gets to the water basin.

3. Water Basin - here the smoke passes through the water. Once purified, the smoke is kept in a chamber over the water until it is inhaled by the smoker.

4. Hose - the smoker inhales the smoke from the chamber above the water using a hose. A hose is normally longer than one meter.

The above system provides the smoker soothing and fragrant smoke.

Words of a customer in a hookah bar:

"The important thing isn't what you put in the pipe, but who is with you while you're smoking. The purpose is to enjoy. You can find, good, old, intriguing and all sorts of people in a bar like this. Hookahs bars will remain in the world so long as people wish to take out time to enjoy the company of their good friends."




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