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In recent years, shisha (nargile, peacepipe, hookah, hubbly bubbly) has made a reemergence outside the traditional shisha smoking countries, especially with those not of Middle Eastern descent. In fact, the Shisha is very much "in vogue" in the UAE. With Ramadhan just around the corner, when Shisha tents are set up at the large hotels and in suburban areas to bring some convivial spirit to the month, we thought it time to give you the lowdown on this tradition that dates back hundreds of years.
Shisha is all about the social element. It's not what you put in your pipe, but who you smoke it with. Rarely will you see a solo shisha smoker. In Britain, lifestyle revolves around the pub, in the Netherlands, the 'coffee' shop - and in the Middle East, one of the social hangouts are the shisha cafes. Men get together (and an increasing number of women) to share gossip or conduct unofficial business. Elders will usually indulge in a game of Backgammon or Dominos while they puff into the evening and sip on their Turkish Coffee or Mint Tea.
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