Hookah Bars: Our Generation's Twist on an Ancient Tradition

Cultural traditions don't usually scream nightlife and bars, or do they? Hookah smoking is a popular trend that's sweeping our nation. Where I am from, Massachusetts, there are eight hookah bars that provide not only a hookah pipe experience, but also a fun and exotic environment. Who knew that Mr. Walt Disney would introduce us to this phenomenon with the caterpillar in his classic Alice in Wonderland? 

Hookahs are often heavily decorated water pipes (usually glass based) with a flexible tube(s) containing a mouthpiece. Tobacco is smoked out of a hookah and is most commonly referred to as shisha. Shisha is doused in flavorful syrup. Some of the many flavors include white peach, mint chocolate chip, lemon mint, tropical mango, island papaya, strawberry, coconut, mint, orange cream, french vanilla, and black cherry.

The origin of the hookah comes from Northwestern India, bordering Pakistan in Rajasthan and Gujarat. But the use of hookahs has altered since their foundation, to say the least. Original hookahs were designed to smoke opium and hashish. Back then they were structured from coconut shells attached with a tube head for a mouthpiece. With the expanding popularity of hookah smoking, the leisure eventually made its way to the Middle East. Some of the first countries to adopt the pastime include Egypt, India and Turkey. However, its popularity surged only among the upper class and intellectuals. It was among this upper class where we developed the structure of a modern looking hookah (now made of glass and heavily decorated). Thankfully, this social pastime made its way to the U.S. is now the focus of over 300 establishments that aim to provide a taste of exoticism. 

Music is another attention-grabbing aspect of hookah bars. If you're looking for a well-lit atmosphere with a soft background music humming classical Italian, you've come to the wrong place. Hookah bars are set up to make a lasting impression, and do they ever! Some musical genres include authentic and instrumental Arabian music, Arab pop tunes and folk songs, and Turkish percussion. These are only some of the many different genres that are all mixed and edited to create a lively and upbeat environment. 

While shisha smoking can be the main event, customers aren't experiencing the full potential of these foreign restaurants without tasting the foods. Most of these hookah bars are Middle Eastern and encourage customers to pair the shisha with a lively taste of Mediterranean, Lebanese or Persian foods. Some of their delectable dishes include multiple hummus dishes, kibbe balls, tabouli and chicken taouk, baba gannouj and roasted lamb chops. A suggestion for any of these hookah bars would be to end your experience sweetly, with fresh baklava. 

Jodi Williams is a 22 year-old bartender at Byblos Hookah Lounge in Providence, RI. Williams enjoyed the environment and figured it would be a great change of pace compared to a traditional food establishment. "Never be afraid to try new things," she informed me. "My favorite is people's birthdays. We don't' do the cliché birthday cheers and chants; our music sings for us. Most people look around for a huge piece of decorated birthday cake. We provide simple and sweet, flakey and buttery baklava, with a candle of course."

 While the hookah environment can be inviting, there are also customers who aren't generally smokers. One of them being Stephanie Caron, a 19 year old sophomore here at PSU. She said that she had tried hookah before and generally enjoyed it. "It is easier and tastes much better than a cigarette. In the process I felt cleaner and much more relaxed. It was just a learning experience that felt like a breath of flavored air."  While hookah smoking can be more enjoyable than a cigarette, most shisha can carry the same health risks depending on how long a session lasts (approx. 30-45 min, being a full size hookah shared with 3-5 people). Due to the tobacco intake, Caron wouldn't try it again, but wouldn't be opposed if in a lounge, just to get the full experience. 

So whatever your topic of social issues might be, and let's hope it's one worth yelling about, most volumes in hookah lounges are maxed out. Granted, the set up for a lot of these places are big comfy ottomans faced towards each other; the main goal of hookah lounges is to provide for the customer a momentary getaway.