Hookah Assembly

Principally, this article should have started from the history of Hookah, its evolution and altered types being smoked in different regions followed by method of making it, but no. Wikipedia would serve this purpose in a detailed way. It has a Persian origin and was introduced to us through Mughal Emperors. In Pakistan, it is smoked in all provinces, Punjab and KP being on top. You go anywhere in Punjab, rural life is considered incomplete without delicacy of tobacco-hookah. People smoke it as a food-digester, a hobby, a symbol of culture and last but not the least, addiction.

Coming to the point, a step-wise pictorial demonstration of making a tobacco-hookah is explained in the text. Following are the seven things you will need while preparing it:

Hookah Assembly having water bowl, pipe and wind-guard
Tobacco
Jaggery (Shakar/Gurr)
Coal
Cold Water
Kerosine Oil
Tongs

Step One:

The first step is burning the coal. Take about 6-8 pieces of coal, ignite them using Kerosine oil. Air would be needed for efficient combustion, using a pedestal fan is favourable. Burn them till they glow red. Keep some pieces partially/slightly burnt, they would be needed later.

Step Two:

The coal-bowl has to be prepared in the next step. It is placed at the top of hookah assembly and carries coal. Place appropriate amount of tobacco in the coal-bowl, and over it sprinkle some pieces of jaggery or any other sweet so that the pungent smell of tobacco in the smoke, hence cough, can be avoided. The coal bowl is shown in the image.

Step Three:

Now it’s the time to put coal in the coal-bowl. First place the partially burnt and slightly burnt coal pieces, so that the tobacco does not come in direct contact with the burnt coal, else hookah would have shorter life. This is very important, if burnt coal is placed directly on tobacco, it would burn very early and the hookah will die. The coal-bowl should have the following things, in sequence from the inner-most: tobacco, jaggery, slightly burnt coal, burnt coal. The coal-bowl is now ready. Cover it with the wind-cover so that coal remains inside the bowl. Wind cover has a small opening which allows air and hence further slow combustion of coal.

Step Four:

Remove the water bowl from the hookah assembly and fill it with cold water. The colder the water, tastier would be the hookah. Some people put ice along with water in the water bowl. Now tie it to the hookah-assembly and set the water level for comfortable air suction through the pipe. After that, place the coal-bowl above the assembly.