Archive for February, 2010

• Traditional vs. New Age: The Choices in Shisha Consumption

  Date: 2010.02.08 | Category: Tobacco | Response: 0

  

  Naturally, I’m going to assume if you’re reading this blog, you’re a devout hookah smoker. Perhaps you’ve been smoking for years, and you already have a favorite shisha that you live by religiously. But, for the rest of our hookah community, I wanted to set the record straight a little bit and tell you the real skinny on the difference between Traditional Moassel and the New Age Shisha of today.

  Let us begin with the cut and stem content of each type.  First of all, Traditional shisha has a thicker, chopped, hand-thrashed cut that is not uniform and wide and usually contains a high concentration of stems and twigs. On the other hand, New Shisha’s of today use a cigarette tobacco cut- which is fine and short and burns smoother. It’s simple science, really- the finer the cut, the more surface area; the more surface area, the more flavor absorption. In addition, New shisha has very few stems, and the ones that are found are soft, and few and far between – nothing like the chunky roots found in Traditional brands.

  Back in the 19^th Century, “Tombak” or “Shisha” was made from the “Black Fat” or the bottom part of the tobacco plant. It was then thrown into a shredder, and thus the reasoning for all the bulky shards of stems (and the occasional bug or two). New Shisha, however, uses the sun-ripened, sweeter, milder Premium Cut located at the top of the plant that is meticulously checked for bugs and other impurities – thus giving you the optimum smoking experience.

  Traditional Shisha is Molasses based, giving it an extremely sticky texture that produces a thick, dark smoke, which lasts longer than Shisha’s without Molasses, but can sometimes be harsh on the throat. This isn’t always a bad thing. Some people enjoy the robust flavor that comes from molasses – but be careful; sometimes the addition of molasses can mask the actual flavoring of the tobacco, leaving you with just a sweet taste instead of, let’s say, one that’s supposed to taste like lemonade. Companies that don’t use molasses in their shisha tend to have a more “true to the flavor” taste, than a company that does. Back in the day, flavoring was achieved by adding fruit pulp, but the practice of adding strong liquid flavor has only really caught on the last 20 years.  On the other hand, with some New Age companies, the addition of food coloring can be really fun. Smoking strawberry can feel more like smoking strawberry because of the red tint the tobacco takes on.

  So, I’ve researched how mu’assel or shisha was stored in the 19^th Century, but with no avail. My guess is that it was probably produced on a “made to order” basis and smoked pretty quickly after purchase- or at least stored in a cool dry place and sealed as much as possible. (We’re taking a trip to Jordan in April, so, we’ll get back to you on this one)  As far as current shisha production is concerned, the more traditional identifying companies store there shisha in a bag- that is in another bag- and those two bags are finally packaged in a box. This method of packaging can be REALLY messy and isn’t re-sealable, which limits its shelf life to around 2 years while packaged. Once opened, you really only have a week or two (tops) unless stored in another plastic receptacle.  Companies with a more modern take on Hookah Shisha have chosen to use a more innovative tin can or a plastic jar or cup that comes with a lid, and allows your shisha to stay fresh (once opened) much longer than their counterparts.

  Either way you look at it, Shisha has come a long way from the production days in the Middle East. Better production, better quality and better flavoring have all made a huge impact on the Hookah Culture and have captured audiences that were not previously familiar with Hookahs. Progressive ideas are changing the face of the culture and original and exciting packaging assists with getting that new message across. Whether you’re a fan of a traditional based shisha process, or one that’s a little bit more evolved, there are two sides to every story, so know the facts before you choose.

  Take it easy, guys. And happy smoking.