Knowledge Base
Shisha Information Center
Basic tobacco information
Shisha tobacco is a mixture of light leaf tobacco, molasses, vegetarian glycerin,
and flavors. The tobacco of choice for shisha manufacturing is Virginia tobacco
known for its light flavor, color and aroma. The tobacco is infused with glycerin
to maintain its moisture and fermented in molasses to create a base tobacco.
Food grade flavors and colorings are then added to create a unique smoking experience..
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Types of tobacco
Most companies differentiate between a premium and a traditional tobacco, although
the classification of premium or traditional tobacco is subjective and varies
from company to company. The differentiation between the two tobaccos types
are usually based on strength of flavor, longevity, smoothness, and overall
quality of smoke. In addition, many premium tobaccos are offered in unique and
exotic flavors not commonly found in traditional tobaccos.
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What makes shisha tobacco
different from cigar, cigarette, or pipe tobacco?
The process of manufacturing shisha tobacco changes the properties of the tobacco
itself. Unlike cigar, cigarette, or pipe tobacco, the dampness of shisha tobacco
allows it to steam when heated rather than actually burn. This steaming of the
tobacco allows for an incredibly smooth smoke unlike anything else in the world.
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What makes one brand of
tobacco different than another?
Not all shisha tobacco is created equal. There is in fact a good deal of variance
in the characteristics of the different brands. These differences are caused
by variations in the manufacturing process, usage of ingredients, as well as
the quality of the tobacco and ingredients.
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How to choose a tobacco
The only sure fire way of knowing what hookah tobacco you will like is to try
it. All the different tobaccos have certain traits or characteristics that are
generally the same across their flavor range. If you have tried a certain tobacco
brand and enjoyed it, chances are that you will enjoy most of the other flavors
made by that brand. If you have not tried a certain tobacco yet, we recommend
choosing a few 50 gram sample packs when available to try its general quality
and flavor. If the brand does not produce sample packs, you may consider doing
some research online to find some reviews of the tobacco, asking at your local
hookah bars if you enjoy the smoke their, or asking other hookah smokers what
they recommend. Depending on your experience, you can then decide whether or
not to try more flavors of the same brand or possibly a different tobacco.
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How to salvage a bowl of
burning tobacco
You are just getting comfortable enjoying the hookah when you notice a change
in the taste and the smooth smoke now getting harsh; you take another puff and
after coughing up a lung you realize the tobacco is burning. You can redo the
bowl or try a few things to salvage the tobacco.
The easiest thing to do is to immediately remove the charcoal and softly blow
into the hose. Blowing into the hookah will remove the foul tasting smoke from
the vase through the bleeder valve. Blowing into the hookah will also cause
air to move up the stem and through the bowl cooling down the tobacco. If you
are using a multi-hose hookah make sure that when trying to clear the vase that
you leave the other hoses unplugged, and then plug the extra hoses to blow air
up the stem and through the bowl. Doing this alone and repositioning the charcoal
is usually enough to save the bowl.
If this doesn't help or you feel that a little more attention is needed, you
can remove the charcoals and lift the charcoal screen (or foil), and blow directly
onto the tobacco to cool it off. When you lift the charcoal screen you might
see a few sections when the tobacco has turned black. If this is the case, you
can remove those sections of tobacco. Another thing you might notice when you
lift the charcoal screen is that a few pieces of the tobacco have actually clung
to the underside of the screen. Remove it because it is burning and ruining
the flavor of the rest of the bowl. When you put the screen and coal back on
the bowl make sure you carefully manage the coal.
If none of the above helps you will have to redo the tobacco. See our article
on managing charcoal for more information on having a great smoke.
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How to enhance your tobaccos
flavors, techniques and suggestions from the pros
In order to get the most from any shisha tobacco properly setting up and caring
for your hookah is a must. We recommend preparing the tobacco bowl so that the
tobacco is placed in it in a manner in which it prevents the tobacco from becoming
stuck to the foil or screen. The tobacco should not be packed down where airflow
through the tobacco and bowl is restricted. We often use two sheets of hookah
foil to help reduce the chance of overheating the tobacco. In addition, we recommend
washing your hookah thoroughly after each smoke or at least in between switching
flavor or brands.
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