Today there are many varieties of tobacco that differ in their characteristics. Depending on this, they can be used for different tasks. There are varieties for hookahs, pipes, and cigarettes. Separately, it is worth highlighting cigar varieties and compositions for rolling cigarettes. When choosing a specific variety, it is necessary to take into account the content of nicotine, sugars and nitrogen.
What is a tobacco variety?
This term refers to a group of tobaccos that grow in the same region and are united based on the same characteristics and characteristics. Each tobacco variety has unique properties:
- nicotine content;
- amount of sugars;
- nitrogen content.
Tobacco classification
Many people are interested in what types of tobacco are grown on the planet today. In fact, there are several major groups in the world that have unique characteristics.
American group
This group includes the following varieties:
- Virginia is considered the most common variety. It accounts for 40% of the global tobacco market. This variety is characterized by a high sugar content. This tobacco is grown in more than 75 countries. Virginia is characterized by a bright yellow hue and a pleasant aroma.
- Burley - this variety accounts for about 15% of the world market. This tobacco is distinguished by its dark color and rich taste. They often contain chocolate notes. Such raw materials perfectly absorb aromatic additives.
- Maryland - often used in the production of cigarettes. The raw material is light and fluffy. It is characterized by a neutral aroma. The product has excellent combustion and low nicotine content - approximately 1-1.5%.
Eastern group
This group includes the Oriental variety. It accounts for 15% of the global market. This tobacco is characterized by a soft smoke with a typical sour aroma. Nicotine content does not exceed 1%. In terms of sugar level, the product is inferior to the Virginia variety. The amount of substances is 5-7%.
Makhorka
Previously, shag was not classified as a type of tobacco, but was considered a separate product. Today the situation has changed.A distinctive feature of shag is considered to be a large amount of nicotine. This figure reaches 10-15%. This variety is characterized by a strong, rich taste and aroma.
Other tobaccos
Other common varieties include Perique, Latakia, and cigar blends. They are characterized by regional distribution. Therefore, such products are almost never used on an industrial scale.
Groups of tobaccos by properties
All varieties can be divided into 2 large categories - aromatic and skeletal.
Aromatic
This is a fairly aromatic tobacco that differs in the level of odor intensity and taste characteristics.
Skeletal
This tobacco raw material has a classic aroma without foreign impurities. It is important to take into account that different varieties from the group will differ in shades.
What varieties are used in hookah?
The best varieties for hookah are Virginia, Burley and Oriental. Virginia is characterized by a soft and delicate taste, as well as a pleasant fruity aroma. It contains a lot of sugar and a minimum of nicotine. This variety is used to produce hookah tobaccos such as Serbetli, Starbuzz, Oringo and many others.
Burley has a bright, nutty flavor with slight caramel notes. Therefore, it is used to create combined flavored mixtures. Fusion, Tangiers, Satyr are made from Burley leaves.
Oriental has a sour taste with slight sweet notes. Its advantage is the ability to absorb various aromatic substances. Oriental is used as a raw material for DarkSide and Satyr.
Cigar varieties
The following types of tobacco are used for the production of cigars:
- Havana 142 is considered the hardiest plant. However, the raw material does not have a very strong taste.
- Brave 200 – has a strong structure. Therefore, tobacco is mainly used for top layers. Thanks to this, the cigars are durable and resistant to external factors.
- Havana z992 – This tobacco produces excellent yield in tropical climates and has an intense aroma. It is convenient to smoke cigars from it. This tobacco is considered not too strong, and therefore does not have a very strong effect on the throat.
Pipe tobacco
Common types of pipe tobacco include:
- Bezuki - grown in Indonesia. This variety is most often used to make Cavendish tobacco. It belongs to the Dutch flavor group.
- Brazil - Latin America is considered the main growing location. This tobacco is sold under the Flor Fina brand. It is considered quite strong and goes well with Kentucky and Java varieties.
Cigarettes and rolling papers
High-quality tobacco for rolling papers and cigarettes should be cut very thin. In this case, different options are possible:
- Coarse Cut, Loose Cut - the raw material is chips, which consist of flakes of different sizes;
- Ribbon Cut is a classic version of the ribbon shape that perfectly rolls into cigarettes;
- Crumble Cake – raw tobacco is cut into shavings and then pressed into cubes;
- Curly Cut - the raw material resembles small coins cut from tightly rolled leaves.
The highest quality raw materials are made from selected varieties. At the same time, there can be a lot of types of tobacco mixtures. They come in flavored and unflavored varieties. The first category includes chocolate, coffee, and fruit types. The second variety has a natural taste.
A variety of varieties are used to grow tobacco for cigarettes and rolling papers. The most common ones include Virginia and Burley. In addition, common varieties of smoking tobacco include the following:
- Kentucky - produced in the USA and differs from other varieties in its rich brown color and pronounced prune taste. Such raw materials are most often added to the main mixture. This is due to the high nicotine content in it.
- Latakia - this variety is characterized by pronounced taste qualities associated with the peculiarities of production. This variety is grown in Syria, Cyprus and Asian countries. Moreover, after ripening, not only the leaves are collected, but the entire plant. After cutting, it is smoked using wet sawdust from oak bark. After processing, the plant is crushed and pressed. As a result, the tobacco mixture acquires a smoky aroma. When making rolled-up cigarettes, it is combined with the main varieties.
- Perique is considered a very rare variety. This plant is found only on the Mississippi coast. After harvesting, tobacco leaves are placed in oak barrels with plum juice and spices for 9-10 months. As a result, it is possible to obtain almost black tobacco, which has a rich taste and aroma.
Today there are many varieties of tobacco that differ in aroma, taste and purpose. This allows you to choose the best option depending on your personal preferences.
