The Origins of Shisha Flavors
Historical Background
Shisha, also known as hookah or waterpipe, dates back to the 16th century in India’s Rajasthan and Gujarat regions, where early versions were made using coconut shells and bamboo.
It later spread to Persia (modern-day Iran) and the Ottoman Empire, becoming a key part of social and cultural gatherings.
In Egypt, people began mixing tobacco with honey or molasses and adding fruit or herbal flavorings, giving rise to Mu’assel — the sweetened, flavored tobacco still used today.
Originally, hookah tobacco had a strong, harsh taste, appealing mainly to experienced smokers.
To make it smoother and more enjoyable in social settings, people began adding molasses, sugar syrup, and fruit essences.
These additions not only improved taste but also helped the smoke cool down and extend the smoking session, which made the experience more relaxing and communal.
Over time, this evolved into a diverse flavor culture — fruit, mint, sweet, and mixed blends.
Today, flavored shisha is one of the main growth drivers of the global hookah tobacco market. Reports show that fruit-based flavors account for around 45% of total sales in 2025.
Modern Commercialization
What was once a cultural ritual has become a global lifestyle and business trend.
Flavor innovation, colorful packaging, and social-media-driven marketing have made shisha appealing to younger audiences.
In addition to traditional fruit and mint, “icy,” “dessert,” and “multi-fruit fusion” flavors have become major selling points.
Popular and Best-Selling Flavors in Today’s Market
Main Flavor Categories
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Fruit Flavors
Still the largest category, representing about 45% of total sales.
Popular options: Watermelon, Grape, Blueberry, Melon, Mango Passion Fruit etc.
Example: Watermelon ice is one of the best-selling flavors in the UAE and in the middle east.
Fruit flavors are light, easy to smoke, and appeal strongly to younger consumers. -
Mint / Cooling Flavors
Mint and Ice Mint are timeless classics and often used as mixers (e.g., Grape with Mint, blueberry with mint, lemon with mint).
They provide a refreshing, cool sensation, especially popular in warmer climates. In the middle east, the weather is very hot, and most of customers like mint flavors. -
Classic / Traditional Flavors
The legendary Double Apple remains one of the most iconic shisha flavors worldwide.
Traditional markets still show steady demand for these “heritage” profiles. -
Dessert / Mixed Flavors
A growing trend includes dessert-inspired and creamy blends such as Blueberry Muffin, love 666, magic love, and so on.
They attract users who want a smooth, aromatic, and sweet experience.
For example:
Love 66 – A tropical fruit mix with mint, known for its fresh and exotic balance.
Al Fakher Grape with Mint – A worldwide favorite for its clean, classic taste.
Black Grape – Popular in European markets; deep grape flavor with cooling mint.
Watermelon Ice-Popular flavor in the middle east, sweet watermelon with ice.
And the most important thing in the middle east, there have most shisha disposable vapes one the market. And one of the most popular is ultra shisha from tesiyi in the UAE, 12 different fruit flavors for choosing. Now watermelon ice, love 666, grape mint, blueberry mint and so on sells good on the market, Satisfing their experience of shisha flavors.
