Movie theaters, bowling and mall wandering are being thrust aside to make way for the next hot college scene-the hookah lounge.
A hookah is a water pipe device used to smoke shisha, a tobacco mixed with molasses, honey, or fruit. The tobacco is placed in “the head” on the top of the device, which is covered in foil and heated indirectly by charcoal.
When the user inhales through the hose attached to the hookah, the smoke is first pulled through water, which cools it. Perhaps the most recognized image of a hookah can be found in Alice in Wonderland; the caterpillar smokes one atop his mushroom.
Hookah lounges, such as The Hookah Source in Northridge or The Spot in Encino, offer a relaxing and social environment for groups of any size to enjoy themselves at low cost.
You can purchase an amazing shisha kit to use by yourself, in the comfort of your own home these days, but traditionally there is more of a social aspect to it. Typically in groups of two or more, customers at the lounges might come in anywhere from half an hour to two hours. The activities at each location differ, but some of the general expectations from a hookah lounge are food, drink, music and of course, the hookah.
Originating in India as a mere coconut shell, the hookah grew to fame in the coffee shops of Turkey in the 17th century, in a much more extravagant design. The hookah is now a worldwide commodity, found at bars, restaurants and homes.
The shisha smoked with a hookah is available in a massive range of flavors, varying by location.
Standard flavors are nearly always available such as strawberry, chocolate, apple, grape and mint.
Flavors such as cappuccino, vanilla and even butterscotch are widely available as well. Some locations offer exotic flavors like jasmine, rose, cola, Jamaican rum and margarita. For home users, these flavors can easily be purchased through various Web sites.
Chrisarek Aroyan, a 20-year-old Los Angeles Valley College student whose major is undecided, frequents The Spot with his friends. He explained his interest in hookah lounges compared to other hangouts, musing between bites of kubideh beef, a Persian dish offered at The Spot and hits of his strawberry hookah.
“It’s more social and more fun than movie theaters and other overdone places to hang,” Aroyan explained. “You can loosen up and lie back on a sofa and still feel like you’ve gotten more enjoyment than bouncing around at a bowling alley or the mall.”
While some hookah lounges are strictly indoors, such as The Source in Northridge, others also have outdoor tables, such as The Spot in Encino and The Hookah Lounge in Glendale.
The Hookah Lounge ups the ante with some louder activities. Armik, owner of The Hookah Lounge who only goes by his first name, expressed confidence in his location.
“If you come here once, you are going to be hooked,” Armik declared. “We have a DJ every night, we have dancing and we have a great crowd.”
Cigarette smokers and non-smokers alike are found inhaling the calm hookah together at these lounges or in the comfort of their own homes.
The smoke can be smooth and pleasant for numerous reasons; the water cools it down, the flavors are often extremely palatable and customizable and even the scent of the smoke is sweet compared to cigarettes.
Despite beliefs that the water in the hookah filters out the toxins of the smoke, caution should still be exercised when smoking hookah.
According to Kamal Chaouachi, a researcher of tobacco health and pharmacological effects, there is a significant amount of carbon monoxide present in hookah smoke that is produced by the charcoal used to light it.
The American Cancer Society also confirms that hookah smoke contains concentrations of carbon monoxide, nicotine and tar that are as high as or higher than in cigarette smoke.
A convenient element of the hookah lounges is the flexibile nature of hookah – fitting for day or night. Gage Manos, an 18-year-old psychology major, frequents the bars often.
His favorite flavor is spearmint, which he and his friends smoke anywhere from once a month to a few times a week.
“It’s relaxing, it’s a cool environment and it’s just different,” Manos explained, referring to The Hookah Source. “They play cool music and everybody just hangs out there. Nowadays people are looking to kick back-they’re just looking to chill.”
While a lounge certainly provides a convenient social setting, it is not uncommon for somebody who smokes hookah to do so at home.
With a wide price range starting as low as $40, hookahs of many different designs and uses can be purchased at smoke shops and special locations. A few of the notable differences between hookahs are the size, the design, and the number of hoses.
Sarah Fatoorechi, an 18-year-old whose major is undecided, owns her own hookah.
“I’m Persian, so it has a lot to do with culture,” Fatoorechi explained. “I grew up around it and after awhile, it became a social thing with all my friends.”