Hookahs

A synonym for hookah, water pipe, or narghile. The word comes from the Persian word for glass. The term “shisha” is primarily used for water pipes in Egypt. Misinformed Westerners tend to refer to the tobacco smoked from a water pipe as “shisha”. This is due to slang use in the Middle East, where it is acceptable to request a “flavored shisha” which means a hookah with flavored tobacco. The incorrect inference that “shisha” refers to the flavored tobacco spread into the vernacular and is primarily used by those that have only experienced this particular aspect of Middle Eastern culture in its cheaper, commercialized form in the West. Shisha is used in the Middle East, and North Africa but becoming ever more popular in Asia and the West. In Egypt this is a name for a hookah or the actual flavored tobacco inside it. Flavors can include apple cinnamon, mint, etc. Smoking shisha once is equal to smoking at least 30 cigarettes. Very common, mostly done by men in community settings like cafes or gathering places.