Ahhh, hookah time.  Whether it’s high hookah or after dinner hookah or hookah over easy (that is, hookah after breakfast), the preparation of the hookah follows relatively the same course.  Each step is crucial and yet is open to flexibility.  No one step is written in stone.  Change them as you see fit; the important part is to share your alterations so that the hookah community as a whole can grow and thrive.  Here are my steps:

Step 1: Sit down with your fellow hookah vapourers and discuss what flavours should be vapoured.  There are numerous choices here.  If one is trying a new flavour, then that flavour should be sampled by its lonesome and its effects noted.  Once this is figured, it can be easier to decide what flavours can be blended together for the most favourable results. 

            Blends are always interesting to try.  There are always ideas that pop into our heads like apple/cinnamon, vanilla/cappuccino, or lemon/honey.  There are others that would make a good fit without perhaps our preconceived knowledge.  At this point, I would randomly select two or three flavours and vapour them; no matter what came up.  Remember, God does play dice with the universe, so why can’t we play dice with hookah flavours. 

Step 2: Once the flavours are selected, fill the bowl to just below the edge.  There will be a line of carbon around the rim.  One wants a little space between the coal and the tobacco.  Trust me when I say this.  One would rather have the flavour vapourized then burned.  A piece of tin foil, whether from the roll or from a preconceived hookah foil, is then placed over the bowl.  Make sure it is tight and straight across the bowl.  Poke holes in the top; they can be large ones or small.  Each hookah vapourer will have different preferences.  I personally like a spiral pattern with small holes.  But try whatever you like.

Step 3:  Choosing the flavour leads one automatically into choosing the appropriate liquid that will fill the vase.  Most of the time I use water with a little ice, but ever now and again I like to put the vase in the freezer for thirty minutes or so.  This dramatically cools down your vapour.  Also, a different liquid can always be used, say orange juice while smoking orange.  I have found that orange juice with apricot tobacco is a very good combination.  The key here is to experiment with different liquids, with different temperatures and with different tobaccos.  There are an infinite amount of combinations; have fun with it. 

Step 4: The all important coal comes next.  I like Japanese coals, but in a pinch the Dutch variety are also very nice.  The Japanese ones are best done on an oven.  Just crank it up to max and let the coals sit on the burner for awhile.  They’ll start to flame a bit; that’s when they’re ready to go.  The box says you can use a lighter or match, but don’t listen to that.  That’s bullshit.  For the Dutch coals, a simple lighter will suffice.  Once the bottom of the coal is nice and hot, blow the top and sides until the whole thing is blazing red.  This gets rid of the metallic junk spread around the coal for quick lighting.  Now, place the red coal on top of the bowl.

Step 5:  Start breathing.  No wimpy breaths either.  Give’er a good tug.  This will get the coal going faster, and thus get the tobacco to vapourize faster.  It will take a few minutes for the real taste to come through, but be patient, it will come.  Now sit back and enjoy the flavour of the hookah.  Don’t forget though, the main point of the hookah is to enjoy it with friends.  Conversation around the hookah should always be honest and peaceful.  A critique of the hookah vapour is also important, in that one can improve the next vapour session.  Debate can be present but at the end we must all remember that we are all human and all hookah vapourers.  Peace to all!

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