You think that you have tried every type of tobacco product available, from the common to the exotic, from cigars and snuff to shisha.
But have you tried dokha yet?
What is dokha?
Dokha is a tobacco product that has been cultivated and smoked in the Middle East for hundreds of years. This Arabic tobacco was mixed with fruits, dried flowers, and spices and herbs. In countries like Turkey and Iran, dokha is mixed with native plants. Today, dokha is prepared and smoked without any additives.
Dokha is generally classified into three types: barid (cold), daffi (warm), and har (hot). These classifications refer to the dokha's strength and does not necessarily pertain to the buzz you get from smoking any of these. There are some dokha products which may be classified as extra cold or extra hot.
The history of dokha
Depending on who you ask, they will claim that they invented the medwakh and dokha smoking.
The Arabs who live near coastal areas will say that they invented the pipe as well as the different types of products used along with these. The Iranians have also staked a claim in the invention of the medwakh and dokha smoking.
According to historians, these claims may have a factual basis. As early as the 1400s, Iranians have been using pipes and smoking different types of herbs. But instead of tobacco, the Iranians smoked different plants which were fired and cured with the sun and mixed together with fig leaves and different oils. To date, there are still some Iranians who smoke this non-tobacco blend.
With the introduction of tobacco to the Middle East at around the 1500s, Iranians turned their attention to smoking dokha. This continued even after the Ottoman Empire attempted to ban the smoking of tobacco products in both private and public places.
Today, dokha is available for sale for anyone over 18 years old.
How does dokha compare to hookah and Western tobacco?
Unlike hookah tobacco which is cured with molasses or honey, dokha is prepared and smoked in its purest form with no added ingredients.
Dokha tobacco is also harvested and cured differently from Western tobacco products. After being cut and transported, the tobacco leaves are allowed to dry under the desert sun. Depending on the classification of the dokha tobacco, it can be processed in a matter of days to a few weeks.
This unique processing imbues this tobacco product with a high level of nicotine content which in turn gives smokers that unique buzz that cannot be found in other tobacco products and blends.
The processing of dokha also gives it a unique green color that is unusual for a tobacco product.
How do you smoke it?
Dokha is smoked using the traditional pipe known as the medwakh. A medwakh may be made out of bone, metal, or wood.
Compared to other types of pipes, the medwakh is smaller and can only accommodate roughly 0.15 grams of dokha. But don't be fooled by that relatively small amount. That small amount of dokha is more than enough to give you a unique buzz.
Just how different is the dokha experience?
Many tobacco enthusiasts who have tried dokha for the first time say that it is an incomparable experience.
If you are a cigarette smoker, you will find that smoking dokha can be quite pleasurable and relaxing. Most cigarette smokers smoke out of habit. With dokha, it's all about the experience.
Another key difference of dokha is that you only need to smoke a small quantity to get your tobacco fix. Plus, it only takes a few seconds to prepare your pipe and smoke dokha and enjoy it. Furthermore, dokha is easy to prepare. All you need is a small pinch of the tobacco product and you can start smoking. After you're done, you do not have to worry about the leftover ashes or cigarette butts.
A single pinch is enough for three to five puffs. Those are more than enough to give you the dokha buzz that can last anywhere between 30 seconds and two minutes. That instant buzz or head rush will be gone after two minutes.
Unlike most tobacco products, dokha does not leave a smell that is offensive to non-smokers. In fact, you can smoke dokha in a quiet corner inside your home without worrying about the smell. Dokha smoke does not leave a residual odor on your clothes or even your breath. Also, dokha does not stain clothes and fingers like cigarettes and similar tobacco products do.
Due to the processing of dokha and the absence of additives, many consider dokha healthier that other tobacco products. When you smoke dokha, less tar will get into your lungs.
Dokha is usually available in 15 grams or 65 ml bottles. That small amount is enough for you to smoke dokha anywhere between 95 and 120 times. Some even consider dokha to be a great alternative to cigarettes, not just in terms of taste and buzz, but even in terms of price.
