Types of shisha flavor: stones, herbs or paste

Anyone searching for types of shisha flavor is shown jars, tubs and tubes that look nothing alike but all sit under the same heading. That is no accident: they are three different products doing the same thing, giving off flavor under a coal.

Below is what each type contains, how much you need per bowl fill and which one suits which bowl. If you do not yet know how to pack a bowl, start with the setup guide.

Three types under one name

Set three jars side by side and the difference is immediately visible. One holds pale, porous granules. The second holds red or brown shredded plant material. The third is not a jar at all but a tube with a thick mass in it.

All three get the same flavor liquid: aroma with glycerine, which vaporises under the heat. The difference is what that liquid sits on.

Why it matters which one you buy

The carrier decides how much you need per fill, how long a session lasts, whether the material can burn and which bowl you need. Anyone buying on flavor name without watching that will not understand why one jar lasts twice as long as another.

Where the three types come from

The classic hookah filling is tobacco with molasses. As demand for tobacco-free alternatives grew, two routes appeared: put the same flavor liquid on a different carrier material, or drop the carrier entirely. Steam stones and herbal mixes are the first route, paste the second.

That is why these are three types of shisha flavor and not three brands of the same thing: they solve the same problem in a different way.

Steam stones: mineral, not plant

Steam stones are granules of porous mineral, often volcanic rock, that absorb the flavor liquid like a sponge. They come in dozens of flavors and the best known brands are Shiazo, Paradise and Bigg Ice Rockz.

The key characteristic: they do not burn. The rock cannot char, so an overly hot coal gives no bitter burnt taste the way plant material does. You only notice that the flavor runs out sooner.

What that means for your session

Stones give off vapor until the liquid is gone, and after that it tastes of nothing. That moment arrives fairly abruptly: there is no gradual fade the way there is with herbs. Expect a shorter but steadier session.

Granule size differs per brand and you notice that while packing: fine granules close off the holes in the base of the bowl sooner than coarse ones.

Reusing them does not work

A common question: can you soak stones again? Technically you can, but the result is not a second session of the same quality. After a session the pores are partly closed with burnt glycerine, and what you pour on no longer spreads evenly. For flavor, a fresh fill is always better.

Herbal mix: closest to classic tobacco

Herbal mix consists of shredded plant material, usually sugar cane or tea leaf, soaked in the same flavor liquid. Brands such as Shi-Ha, Drizzy Elements and True Passion work this way.

This is the type that behaves most like classic hookah tobacco: the same packing, the same way of building up heat, and the same risk. If the bowl gets too hot, the material chars and the session tastes bitter. That is not a fault of the product but of the heat.

How many grams per bowl fill

The lid of a Shi-Ha jar says it literally: 150 grams is good for ten portions. That comes to about fifteen grams per bowl fill. A 200 gram jar, as with Drizzy Elements, therefore covers thirteen to fourteen sessions.

Pack loosely and press nothing down. The holes in the base of the bowl have to stay open, otherwise the whole setup draws hard.

Paste: no carrier, but a tube

The third type is a thick mass without a solid carrier, sold in a tube of thirty or a hundred and twenty-five grams. Space Smoke is the best known brand here.

Because there is nothing to hold the mass, you need a bowl that does: a phunnel with a high rim, or a bowl with a screen in it. On a flat bowl with foil, paste runs off as soon as it warms up.

Paste is also used as an additive, a small line alongside another flavor to make it fresher or sweeter. In that role a thirty gram tube lasts a long time.

Storing and shelf life

All types of shisha flavor dry out if the jar is left open. Herbal mix notices it most: dry material chars sooner and gives less vapor. Close the jar properly and keep it dark, not next to the charcoal burner.

A tube of paste is the easiest here: it seals itself as soon as you screw the cap back on.

What all three have in common

All three are tobacco-free and nicotine-free. The Drizzy Elements packaging says so explicitly: zero percent tobacco, zero percent nicotine. That applies to the entire flavor range we sell online.

They also all three ask for the same approach to heat: coconut charcoal glowing all over, starting at the rim of the bowl, and drawing gently. The difference is how strict they are when you do not.

Which types of shisha flavor suit which bowl

A phunnel with a hole in the middle works with all three. A classic bowl with holes in the base works well with herbal mix and coarse stones, but fine stones fall through and paste runs off.

If you use a heat screen instead of foil, the chance of charring with herbal mix is smaller, because the heat is spread more evenly.

What to watch when choosing

When comparing types of shisha flavor you start with the bowl you have and not with the flavor name. Then with how strict you are about heat: if you tend to pile coals on, stones are more forgiving. And watch the weight on the packaging, because a hundred grams of stones and a hundred grams of herbs do not give the same number of sessions.

Every type of shisha flavor at ShishaTabak

At ShishaTabak you will find all three types: steam stones, herbal mixes and paste from brands such as Shiazo, Paradise, Bigg Ice Rockz, Shi-Ha, Drizzy Elements, True Passion and Space Smoke. All tobacco-free and without nicotine.

Alongside that, the matching bowls, coconut charcoal and accessories are online. Ordered before 18:00 arrives the next day, with free shipping from 89.99 euro.