How real tobacco is made

Annual alkaloid plant, tobacco, belongs to (Nikotiana) genus Solanaceae family, can reach 120-180 cm in height at maturity age. Tobaccos high adaptivity to climate allows to control the yield, quality and quality. Tobacco is traditionally grown in climate zones which have special demands to temperature, soil and humidity level.

Tobacco seeds are small in size and very fragile. Before they are planted in the plantation it is required to pregrow the seeds indoors. strong>

After florification the most important stage begins – ripening of tobacco leaves which is a stage by stage process.

Harvesting tobacco leaves is a quite complicated process, especially when a high quality kind tobacco is created. It is important that tobacco is harvested right after the ripening, so it would not lose its taste qualities and distort the growth of higher branches of the plant.

Tar components and volatile oils are found in fibers covering the leaf, nicotine is accumulated inside of them along with other components effecting quality and yield. Leaves should be harvested when a complete mature phase is reached. Unriped or overriped leaves may spoil the whole yield at further recycling – quality will be poor and aroma will not satisfy needed criteria.

It is necessary to mention that tobacco is a capricious plant – little change in humidity or temperature gradually increase the leaves ripening and decrease the yield as a whole. Tobacco also requires a special and structural soil with mandatory presence of pebbles and stone chips – this kind of soil could be found in mountain areas.

Tobacco harvesting

Leaves ripening control requires permanent observation. Golden Virginia harvesting is only hand collected – this method is called “per leaf”. This is expensive and labor consuming process. There is also method where plants collected as a whole – this method is applied to harvesting a Berley where mechanical harvesting is accepted. Combined methods of tobacco harvesting are rarely used when a top quality tobacco is made. Harvesting is done in the morning after the early dew or evening time when  tobacco leaves contain the most of dry components.

Technological culturing is – half the work. Special qualities true tobacco gains after it is harvested. Very important process after the ripe tobacco is harvested is – leaves drying, which is a multi stage process, including êîòîðàÿ ñîñòîèò èç ýòàïîâ yellowing and fixation. Every kind of a tobacco has its standards for humidity at the yellowing process. Tobacco leaf changes not only its color while drying, but also its chemical composition – carbohydrates and organic acids, nitrogenous and pectin content of the leaf is also changing. At the end of yellowing process where tobacco gains its color accordingly to its kind and cultivation technology.

Tobacco leaves may not only be in yellowish tones but also in brownish, red and orange – this is because the leaf undergoes the oxidation process. Only organoleptic method is used to determine is the tobacco leaf is ready for further recycling. Specialists determine the end of drying process by fragility of the leaf in central vein and its color.

Tobacco Drying

Drying process – is important procedure, where all accumulated qualities of a tobacco in a field are being fixed. There are a few methods of tobacco drying. Natural method is used for Eastern tobaccos. It requires a lot of time and construction of special facilities. Each tobacco leaf manually strung on strings or cords which are placed inline inside special frames. Sometimes in cold weather yellowing of a tobacco occurs on the floor, but still stringing is required.

Natural drying is subdivided to sun drying and drying inside the shadow. Best tobacco kinds undergo drying through sun drying process, but the yellowing timing depends on the climate and differs from kind to a kind. Sun dried tobacco leaves are pale yellow in color – Golden Virginia has this color. Natural shadow drying is used in Central Asia, Berley tobacco and also for cigar tobaccos. Shadow drying process undergoes in specially designed facilities and under the sun blinds  with ventilation.

Artificial tobacco drying with thermal air is called thermal drying. This ancient method of drying has been used by Indians. Thermal drying is possible after the tobacco has been harvested by the plants as a whole. Tobacco undergoes natural yellowing and then dried thermally. The color of this tobacco is brownish and the aroma is – very special. Cigars are made of thermal tobacco along with dry snuff and special kinds of cigarettes.

Artificial drying allows significantly to decrease the timing of drying process due to additional ventilation and heat. There is also climate drying, where air besides being heated, also being humidified within set parameters.

Each tobacco kind has its own technology. Strict compliance with rules and standards – is a guarantee of success of tobacco industry manufacturers, satisfaction of tobacco quality to the consumer’s expectations. True tobacco needs a careful treatment at cultivating stage as well as at drying stage. The true tobacco is obtained only with a strict compliance of the above.