TOBACCO VARIETIES
There are many different types of tobacco that can be used in snuff making. Cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, snus, even chew or dip. These will all have different ways of being handled pertaining to the ingredients that are already in them. But this will not be the focus here but the specific varieties tobacco_ will_ be._ _Cues can be taken from these products as to what type of leaf combinations creates a certain flavor profiles. There are also different species of nicotiana that can be used for snuff the most notable being nicotiana rustica. Rustica has the highest nicotine content as well as having higher concentrates of other alkaloids that can have a notable effect. So much so that it would be advised that anyone on or should be on MAOI’s should avoid its use. The nicotiana tabacum species is most widely used for tobacco products and includes the following varieties to choose from and although each variety has a multitude of strains most have similar characteristics.
BURLEY can be found in almost all tobacco products. It has a high nicotine content and very little sugar. It carries casings very well and makes a perfect base for snuff. Cigars are normally made entirely of air cured burley leaf which has been sweated and does make for good snuff. Burley can also be found as fire cured as well as specially fermented into what is called Perique.
VIRGINIA is a lighter, sweeter leaf that has much character when fermented or aged. Fire cured virginia leaf can be found but it is quite rare. It can be air cured too but for the most part virginia leaf gets flue cured which brings out the best of its qualities namely its golden color. Virginia and burley compliment each other well and can be found in combination for the base of most English snuffs.
TURKISH tobacco though not all grown in Turkey proper has a lot of the same characteristics. There are many strains each with their own twist in fact some distinct enough to be categorized as ORIENTAL. Turkish tobacco is generally sweet and oily with a strong herbal component with much less nicotine. Usually sun cured except for the famous latakia style of cure which is to smoke over an open fire of pine and other fragrant woods.
LATAKIA makes a great smelling snuff although on its own a little low in nicotine is so strongly scented that blending would only help. There is a Syrian and a Cyprian having minor but notable differences.
PERIQUE is a specific variety of red burley that is only harvested from a specific growing region. It is further processed using very specific fermenting techniques. Perique is wonderful as a snuff. It is very strong and a good snuff on its own but also makes a great blender with chameleon like characteristics.
Tobaccos are also known for certain characteristics by where they are grown for example you have MALAWI, ZIMBABWE, CAROLINA, MARYLAND, BRAZIL, CUBA and the list goes on. Even further if you start looking at cigar leaf varieties. Indonesian TAMBOLAKA is an example of an exotic type of fermented cigar leaf.