Hookah becoming popular among Vol State students
Austin Wright
Issue date: 2/23/09 Section: News
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According to the hookah menu at Fattoush Cafe, "hookah, also called Narghile, shisha, or hubbly bubbly, is a pipe designed for smoking fruit molasses flavored tobacco dipped in honey."
"Hookah is the English spelling of the Persian and Hindustani huqqu, an adaptation of the Arabic Huqqah, a vase or casket, and by transference a pipe for smoking, probably derived from the Arabic huqq, a hollow place," stated the Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition.
The original hookahs came from India and were made from coconut shells. In the 17th century, the hookah was brought to its modern form and was a normal part of coffee house culture.
In Hendersonville, Fattoush Cafe, is owned by Clara Robinson and ran by her and her sister Fadia Karvonen. The cafe is the closest hookah bar to campus, the nearest one after that is in downtown Nashville.
Karvonen said that they opened the hookah bar because it is a part of there culture.
"We use it every day now back home," she said.
"You have it downtown and we wanted to bring it to Hendersonville," said Karvonen.
Several students from Vol State enjoy the occasional hookah at Fattoush Cafe.
Everett Fox, a student at Vol State, said that he enjoys the hookah bar because it's fun and something to do.
Fox was smoking a hookah with fellow VSCC students, Derek Wiley, Jimmy Baxter and Station Camp High School student, Clayton Cook.
"I used to have one, and I think it is much smoother than smoking a cigar or something," said Cook.
"It's really different. I don't really consider it smoking even though it is," said Baxter.
Fox said he was shocked to hear of a hookah bar in Hendersonville.
"I knew this was here, but I had no clue it was a hookah bar," said Baxter.
Cook said he never expected to find a hookah bar in Hendersonville and this was his first time at Fattoush Cafe.
Flavors offered at Fattoush Cafe are a variety of fruit flavors including apple, peach and strawberry and a couple of house blends called the Fattoush Mix, the Nazareth Mix and the Egyptian Mix.
"I've had apple, orange, banana and a coffee flavor which I didn't like," said Wiley.
"The Nazareth Mix has a really distinct taste to it, [while] the fruity ones are fruity," explained Fox.
"[The Nazareth] is really good," said Wiley.
Fattoush Cafe also serves a variety of food from gyros to baklava.
Fattoush Cafe also has a belly dancer every other Saturday night alternating with an open microphone night.
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