Mu‘assel (Arabic: معسل which means "honeyed"), is a syrupy tobacco mix containing molasses and vegetable glycerol which is smoked in a hookah.
Argilah or Argileh (Arabic: أرجيلة, sometimes pronounced Argilee), and Shisha or sheesha (شيشة), is the common term for the hookah itself in Egypt and the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf (including Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, UAE, and Saudi Arabia), and in Algeria, Sudan, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, Somalia and Yemen. Initial traces of hookah smoking have been found in the North Western provinces of India in the states of Rajasthan and Gujarat.
Typical flavors of mu‘assel include apple which has a strong aniseed flavour, grape, guava, lemon, mint, as well as many other fruit based mixes. Unusual flavors, including white gummy bear, blueberry muffin, spiced chai and Powerbull flavor (similar to the flavor of a Red Bull energy drink), have been introduced in recent years by modern tobacco manufacturers.
In many places in the Arab world, the smoking of shisha is a part of traditional culture, and is considered a social custom. Social smoking is typically done with the use of a hookah with a single hose which is passed around the group or double hose, but some hookahs can employ four or more hoses. When the smoker is finished, the hose is either placed back on the table, signifying that it is available, or is handed directly to the next user. Social convention dictates that the mouthpiece and hose should be folded back on itself in such a way that the mouthpiece is not pointing at the recipient. Disposable mouth tips are sometimes used in cafes.