I am curious if perhaps a manufacturer or another knowledgeable member could fill us in on the development of white snuffs. It’s definitely a unique regional variety just like German Schmalzer. How long have they been around? Do they originate in India or elsewhere? Etc. 6 Photo’s been around for quite some time so maybe they would have some insight into this. I know in Tibet snuff was prepared with ephedra burned as a charcoal until it became white, and then tobacco was added. So the snuff would certainly be a light tan color. Snuffing ephedrine and nicotine together must’ve given quite a kick.

There is no doubt about India being the snuff capital of the world.We have a few regional centers of snuff like Giddarbaha in Punjab is famous for its black perfumed snuff,Madras for its ghee snuff,Beawar in Rajasthan for its floral red color snuff and Sihor in Gujrat for its plain light brown/yellow color snuff. All these regional centres have a number of factories producing the kind of product but with subtle variations in flavoring and tobacco blending . The white snuff has been in production for a long time but its usage and sales in India have declined considerably.It was popular initially in some states of northern India only but over the years it has been overtaken by other snuff varieties.Mainly because nowadays in India snuff is mainly used as a dentifrice and white snuff being a very dry powder is best suited for sniffing.Having said that,its usage has really caught on in Mongolia and Tibet.White snuff is in good demand in these two countries.

Having said that,its usage has really caught on in Mongolia and Tibet.White snuff is in good demand in these two countries.

When I was in Tibet, I saw many different types of snuff for sale in shops, almost all of Indian origin. But when I saw people actually using it, it was almost always white snuff. The cheapest and most popular brand was very similar to Dholakia White, although possibly even finer and dryer. I have some of that in my Patrick Collins box right now, it’s pretty much too fine to pinch, so I’m tapping and spooning it … more or less as I type.

“Floral red color snuff”? I’ve tried a lot of Indian snuffs, but that’s the first time I hear about this one. Is there really a red snuff, or you are just reffering to the “lal dant manjari” (the red tobacco powder for oral usage)?

Thanks for all the information @sixphoto! I need to take a vacation to India some day. It’s interesting how some countries - America, Sweden/Norway, India - independently developed the habit of putting snuff in the mouth.

There is no doubt about India being the snuff capital of the world.We have a few regional centers of snuff like Giddarbaha in Punjab is famous for its black perfumed snuff, Madras for its ghee snuff ,Beawar in Rajasthan for its floral red color snuff and Sihor in Gujrat for its plain light brown/yellow color snuff. All these regional centres have a number of factories producing the kind of product but with subtle variations in flavoring and tobacco blending.

So, @sixphoto, can you tell us a bit more about this “Madras ghee snuff”? Is it more or less a schmalzer? A snuff mixed with ghee? When I was in Tibet, I picked up about 400 grams of various Indian snuffs, all brands that I haven’t see available for sale on Mister Snuff (or anywhere else other than Tibet, although I’ve never looked at the snuff available in India). Amongst these is one called Umbrella Brand Madras Snuff, by the Perumal Snuff Company. It’s quite good, but I’m not familiar enough with schmalzers to know whether it’s one or not. Would you guess that it’s one of these “ghee snuffs” that you talk about? I did google to find out more about this Perumal Snuff Company, and found out that the family that owns it also produces umbrellas, so hence the name.

This is the website. It’s long on superlatives and colourful adjectives, but doesn’t really provide much useful information. http://umbrellasnuff.com/

Madras snuff is very unlike Schmalzler in grind and color and flavor. About the only thing they have in common is an oil base, theoretically the same type of oil, but Schmalzlers all use mineral oil nowadays, and I suspect most madras snuffs do as well, except those that might still be made as a cottage industry. Also schmalzler has a much more complicated manufacturing process than Madras, or most types of snuff.

@Xander, very interesting. Why do you think mineral oils are used now? Cost? I’d be happy if it was really ghee. Ghee is a really good fat, doesn’t go rancid easily and good flavor. It’s also very readily available in India and very acceptable to those following strict Hindu dietary rules, which might be a factor for local markets.

Whould Dholakia Black be part of the Madras style?

Whould Dholakia Black be part of the Madras style?

@horus92, I just did a quick search to find that Dholakia is based in Sihor, Gujrat. Dholakia White certainly fits with Sixphoto’s description of the local speciality:

… and Sihor in Gujrat for its plain light brown/yellow color snuff.

But of course, a modern Indian snuff producer might well decide that they could branch out beyond their regional speciality, so Dholakia Black may well be “Madras-style” snuff produced in Sihor. I dunno, I’ve never tried the Black.

@JakartaBoy the only reason I suspect ghee is not normally used any longer, is indeed actually the shelf life. I know it does last a long time (as does schmaltz), but mineral oil lasts pretty much forever. The Germans no longer allow schmaltz or any animal or vegetable oil because of the chance of spoilage. I don’t know offhand how long ghee lasts precisely as I don’t use it, and I also don’t know if India has any similar law as Germany. Schmaltz will last several months, maybe double if refrigerated, but not forever. I just suspect its more of an “old school” sort of ingredient, although I must say Madras snuffs do have a particular flavor character which may well be the oil. @horus92 No, Dholakia Black is not a Madras, although I believe it is part of another particular Indian style (are there not other plain black Indian snuffs?). It is oily, but then most Indian snuffs are oil based, and probably ghee was the choice oil for all of them in past. Madrases are light brown, almost toast like, but not so fine and dry as something like Dholakia Sparrow, but they are indeed on the dry side, the oil is not at the forefront.

The white snuffs probably originated in todays Pakistan at the begining of the XX century. To recive a pale color of the snuff the tobacco should be prepared a special sun cured method that lasts for 14 days. The characteristic smell of the white snuffs is given thanks to the added herbs.

Filek what herbs are added? The white snuffs to me have nothing but a sweet tobacco smell with some fishiness/ammonia.

^ @horus92 @filek I was wondering this myself— and wife and I have cooked indian for over 15 years now… so was wondering too-- cannot put my finger on it exactly but would be interesting to know what spices— EDIT: I have noticed that as the ammonia begins to wear a bit thin, the taste of white snuff (WE 41) seems to improve— the ammonia in snuff doesn’t at all bother me— just that this WE seems to improve once it has dissipated a bit.

I have no idea what herbs are added, but it’s deffinietly not only tobacco. Cheeta is descriped on 6 Photo’s website as: “Our exotic white snuff is a blend of the best sun cured finely ground tobacco. It is delicately perfumed (…)” and in the raw material section we can see " natural spices". The creators of the White Elephant say something like this about their product: “The tobacco and other ingredients used in creating a perfect blend of smell and stimulation.” The method of curing tobacco goes like this (except it’s rather etnographical, but shows the concept): “Snuff is largely manufactured at Kolachi in the Dera Ismail Khan District and by the advice of some of the snuff traders, a method of specially preparing tobacco leaves intended for snuff has been adopted by the Sheikh Dehwars of Mastung. The stalks when cut are laid in the sun for about 8 days on a piece of swampy ground which is artificially prepared. ’ The leaves, which become very pale, are now stripped and spread in a dry place, but are covered by a rug or carpet for three days more. They are next spread in the sun for another three days to dry off finally.” Source: Baluchistan District Gazetteer Series, 1907, page 90

Cheeta certainly contains other herbs but I’m not sure if WE or DW do. After all we know WE’s grasp of English isn’t the best and there have been problems with his descriptions. Personally I don’t detect anything in those two besides tobacco cured in a certain way.

I’ll look for more informations. India is a hard nut to crack when it comes to snuff - there are not to many books in English about that. Besides all of those oral powdered tobaccos make it hard to find any valuable informations.

As have said earlier we blend a lot of different varieties of tobacco to produce different brands of snuff. All I can disclose is that the method of preparing white snuff is quite different from other snuffs,as no water or oil is added to it.Also tobacco blend is entirely different.

Very interesting thread. I have wondered about this before. Just ordered some NC (?) Madras and can’t wait to try it. I like all the Indian snuff I have tried, and have amassed quite a lot of it. Each brand seems to have it’s own particular style, if that makes sense.

What I find interesting here is how the nasal use of snuff is being exchanged for oral use as happened in the US only much earlier. I swore I would never chew but I had to give it a go in the end and hey it hits another sense - taste.

All I can disclose is that sun cured leaf is awesome.