Hookah lingo
● Hookah - Also spelled huka
, a Middle Eastern smoking device with a long tube that passes through water in a glass pipe to cool the smoke of flavored tobacco, called Shisha
. It's also called nargile
, hubbly-bubbly
in the Middle East and England, and argila
● Fatutta - A shorter, smaller version of the hookah made of glass commonly given as a coming-of-age gift to 15-year-olds in Egyptian culture, according to Roger Smiley.
● Shisha - Also spelled Sheesha. Flavored tobacco with 0.5 percent nicotine and no tar. It's mixed with molasses and has a very sweet taste.
● Bowl - The ceramic piece affixed to the top of the hookah that holds the Shisha and the charcoal used to burn it.
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Hookah has its own etiquette
Although the Middle Eastern tradition is becoming popular among Americans, they don't always recognize or follow the proper etiquette, said Hassan Abboud, from Sinbad's Restaurant.
A bowl holds only enough Shisha for one or two people, but groups often try to share the hookah with seven or eight people, and the Shisha gets used up too quickly, he said.
The experience of two people smoking one bowl will last for 45 minutes to an hour. The more people who smoke, the faster the Shisha will burn out, Smiley said.
Also, in the Middle East it's considered rude to ask for a hit or take the pipe from someone unless it's offered to you, Abboud said. The tin that holds the charcoal is not an ashtray for cigarettes, he said. It's considered rude to use it as such.
Another tip: Always carry the hookah from the bottom, not the top, or the glass could fall and break. The hookah should sit on the floor next to the smoker, not on the table, Abboud added.
Hookah hookups
You can purchase your own hookah, or rent one, at many places around town.
● Hippie Gypsy, 351 N. Fourth Ave., 624-0667: Sells hookahs ($89.95-$139.95) and 50 grams of Shisha ($5.95) or 250 grams ($24.95). Hookah accessories such as replacement hoses, cleaning brushes and charcoal are also available. Hours are 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 10 a.m.-midnight Fridays and Saturdays and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sundays.
● Sinbad's Restaurant, 810 E. University Blvd., 623-4010: Offers hookah rentals 7 p.m.-midnight Wednesdays and 8 p.m.-1 a.m. Thursdays-Saturdays ($9.28 including tax and gratuity). The restaurant may close early due to weather or lack of customers.
● Smiley's Ultimate Inc., 503 E. Ninth St., Downtown. 312-1212: Offers hookah rentals 5 p.m.-1 a.m. Mondays-Saturdays ($10 per hour. First bowl of Shisha is free, $4 each additional bowl.)
