The
massell is a kind of tobacco used in smoking the shisha
(Nargila, Argila, Boury and Gouza). It is a blend of international
tobacco leaves. This blend gives a special flavor and taste
with the additives of molasses extracted from sugarcane
and other additives. The Authorities of Measurement Standards
have decided on those additives, so that it will be adequate
for smoking.
The
usage of massell in Egypt was introduced with the Ottoman's
occupation by the beginning of the 19th century. The idea
was initiated from the Ottoman's vision whilst smoking the
shisha they brought in with them from Turkey. They used
to smoke what was called " Tombak"; a kind of
tobacco planted in Turkey and Iran and where its preparation
does not include and technical process (craft) and its quality
depends on the kind of tobacco used.
By
that time the Egyptians were fond of imitating the Turkish
for what they have seen of development in the various areas
that accompanied their existence; in the fields of industry,
agriculture and culture.
The problem for Egyptians was from where to bring the shisha
and the tobacco?
Thus
they started to think in making a replacement for it. They
brought a coconut fruit and made two holes to extract the
syrup inside and then they used a bamboo stick as a substitute
for the rubber tube. The haggar was made of burnt clay,
where you place the tobacco on. Thus the process of producing
the shisha was launched successfully and the Egyptians named
it Gouza as an autonomy to the name of the coconut fruit
in Arabic.
The
Egyptians started to think in bringing the tobacco, by that
time there were many people working in selling the rolled
cigarettes. It was a flourishing trade by that time. It
was known that the tobacco used in the rolled cigarettes
was cut in fine layers, different than what was used by
the Ottomans.
During
the trials for smoking the shisha, the tobacco was not stable
on the haggar, thus they failed in imitating the Ottomans.
In
one of the trials, one of those who loved smoking was having
his dinner; bread and molasses extracted from sugarcane
which was a very popular dessert in Egypt. He was trying
to fix the tobacco, then an idea occurred to him to use
the molasses for being sticky to give the tobacco texture;
the process ended successfully. The most important thing
is that it gave the smoker a distinguished flavor whilst
smoking, thus the new method of smoking started which was
mixing tobacco with molasses (extracted from sugarcane)
thus was named massell.
The
manufacturers and traders observed that this method started
to be so popular in Egypt and hence started to think how
to develop it to be valid for smoking and in packets which
will facilitates usage. They used names to be so close to
the nature of the Egyptian consumer who were mainly by that
time the farmer, thus they gave name to it as trademarks;
the palm, the cow, the rose, the canon, etc.
This
industry developed, whether in massell which got various
flavors and kinds. Competition increased too between the
working companies in this field and the most important thing
became the know-how of the product. As development took
place with the massell it took place too with the shisha
till it reached what it is presently.
With
the advent in the 20th century whereas of smoking and the
discovered harms of smoking cigarettes. Like what happened
to the international companies of great concern to the studies
to decrease the harms of smoking, the massell companies
started to think in ways to decrease harms albeit the massell
is less harmful then the tobacco cigarettes.
By
mid eighties, one of the Egyptian companies started to develop
the massell products, thus the production of new brands
and kinds with new specifications. In addition to the decrease
of nicotine percentage till reaching the ceasing of tar
totally. They added flavors to the massell like apple and
other fruits. The target of these companies was to attract
the cigarettes smokers to the massell.
›Nargile:
A Puff on History
›Puffin
at the old hubble-bubble
›Inhale
the Pleasure of an Unhurried Ottoman Past
›Hookahs
in Western Painting
