TOBACCO

 TOBACCO

Introduction

Tobacco means a leaf product containing 1% - 3%    of alkaloid nicotine (C10 H12 N2) which produces narcotic effect when smoked, snuffed or chewed.

 

Tobacco is the plant which produces tobacco for the world commerce. N Rustica is also used for making tobacco in different parts of the Europe.

 

Tobacco grows best in warm even climate, tropical or sub-tropical region ( java, Sumatra, Jamaica, Cuba, India etc) on well drained, carefully fertilized soil which reduces weekly moisture form rain or irrigation.

HISTORY

There are pre-historic evidences that man learnt to smoke before they could write- various cave paintings and clay tablets show it. In 1492, Christopher Colombus, during his voyage  to  America  had  witnessed  West  Indians smoking tobacco in a hollow forked stick. He brought the tobacco seeds to Europe where the farmers grew them for  medicinal purpose to relax the body. In 1560, a French diplomat, Jean Nicot (form whose name comes the name nicotine) introduced its use to France.

John Rolfe, an American colonist,  commercialized  it  in  Virginia  from  where the  famous  Virginia  tobacco  comes.  America exported Tobacco to England who made it popular in Europe. It however became popular  in  America  by 1850 only.

VARIETIES OF TOACCO

The main type of tobacco for cigarette and pipe smoking is the  Virginian tobacco. The other types of tobacco include Egyptian tobacco  grown in Nile delta and Asia Minor and the Turkish tobacco grown in Turkey, Balkan and Syria. Best quality of tobacco for cigar comes from Veuluabazo district of Cuba where the tobacco is more aromatic than anywhere else in the world.

Processing of tobacco for cigarettes, cigars and pipe tobacco

After harvesting the leaves are left for drying and then fermented  in conditioning chambers with regulated heat and moisture. After  fermentation the leaves become pliable and attain flavor. The leaves are then removed from the mid ribs and sorted out according to quality / perfection.

 

The leaves for pipe tobacco  and  cigarettes  are  shredded  through  machine. The shredding is finer for cigarettes compared to pipe tobacco.

 

For cigars the tobacco leaves are sorted out in a different way. The best quality or the perfect leaves are used for the outside wrapper. The slightly imperfect leaves are used for the binder. Whereas the broken or  imperfect  leaves  are used for the filler. This is because there are three parts to a cigar. The filler, which is the main part of the cigar. The filler is held by  the  binder, which is again held by the wrapper. The wrapper is a smooth  blemish  less  leaf.  It is then taken for maturing.

CIGAR

Cigar is a tightly rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco.the word cigar comes from the Spanish word cigarro.Tobacco used to make cigar is grown in Cuba,Brazil ,Russia ,Mexico,USA and Philippines.

PARTS OF CIGAR:-

Cigar are usually composed of three types of tobacco leaves,whose variations determine smoking and flavour characteristics.They are Filler ,Binder and Wrappers.

 

Fillers:-A filler forms the inner part of the cigar and makes most of the cigar.It constitutes 85 percent of the cigar.Fillers of various strengths are usually mixed well to produce desired cigar flavours.In the cigar industry this is known as blend.

 

·         Filler can be either long or short.

·         Long fillers are made up of whole leaves and are of better quality.

·         Long fillers are mostly used in handmade cigars.

·         Short fillers use chopped leaves,stems,and other bits.

·         Machine made cigars use short fillers.

·       Short fillers cigars are easy to indentified when smoked since they often burn hotter and tend to release bit of leaf into the smokers mouth.

·         Long filled cigars of high quality burn evenly and consistently.

 

Binders:-Binders are the elastic leaves that hold the filler tobacco together and Constitute 10 percent of the cigar.The filler with binder is known as Bunch.Binder leaves are used from the part of the plant usually as they have high tensile strength.

 

Wrappers:-A Wrapper is the outer layer of the cigar. It dictates appearance of the cigar. It constitutes 5 percent of the cigar. A whole leaf of finest quality is chosen as wrappers. Wrappers leaves are fermented separately from other leaves to ensure that it is smooth ,not too oily and has a subtle banquet .Good wrapper leaves have to be smooth and elastic and must have no protruding veins.

·         The wrapper should have a good aroma since it is the most vital ingredient in the taste of the cigar.

 

·         The wrapper determines much of the cigars characteristics and flavor and as such,its color is often used to describe the cigar as a whole.

 

·         The filler tobacco is skillfully rolled in the binder leaves. A wrapper of required characteristic is cut into proper shape and the whole leaf is rolled in such a way to ensure that the whole leaf runs either straight up or straight down.

INTERNATIONAL BRANDS OF CIGARS

COHIBA----------------- CUBA
PUNCH------------------ CUBA
H.UPMANN------------ CUBA	MONTECRISTO NO. 1----
PARTAGAS------------- CUBA	DON DIEGO----- DOMINICAN
	CASA BLANCA------ DOMINICAN

 

CIGARS ARE CLASSIFIED ON THE BASIS OF (1)COLOUR      (2)SIZE         (3)SHAPE

COLOUR

The leaf used for cigar wrapper varies in color from one cigar to other cigar. Once the cigar are made they are graded according to the color of the wrapper and are packed separately in the boxes.

The color of the wrapper is marked on the boxes. It classified into seven basic colors.

 

(1)            COLORADO(C ):-Reddish Brown and aromatic. These are also called Rosado.

(2)            COLORADO CLARO(CC):-Mid Brown, tawny in color.

(3)            CLARO(CCC):-Pale golden, brown in color.

(4)            COLORADO MADURO(CM):-Dark brown in color. Honduran cigars are of this type.

(5)            MADURO(M):-Very dark brown.

(6)            OSCURO:-Black and oily in appearance. It is also known as double  Maduro.

(7)            DOUBLE CLARO:-Greenish brown in color. This color is achieved by picking the leaf before it reaches maturity & then drying it rapidly. It is also called candela..

 

SIZE

 The size of cigar is measured by two dimensions: its ring gauge and its length. The length of cigars is measured in inches.

The girth of cigars is expressed in terms of its ring gauge in 1/64 of an inch. There are countless cigar sizes in the market. Cuba alone produces 69 verities .

DIFFERENT SIZES OF CIGARS

 

TERM	SIZE(INCHES)		RING GAUGE
CORONA	5	1/2	42
PANATELA	5		34
LONSDALE	6	1/4	42
PETIT CORONA	4	½	40
ROBUSTO	5		50
DOUBLE CORONA	7	1/2	49
CORONA GRANDE	6	1/8	42
CHURCHILL	7		48

 SHAPE

 

PAREJO:-This is the most common shape found in the market. It has a cylindrical body, straight sides, one end open and a round tobacco leaf on the other end.

 

FIGURADO:-This is irregular shaped cigar and is sometimes considered of higher quality because it is more difficult to make. The common shape of figured are as follows:

 

TORPEDO:-These are like Parejo but the cap is pointed.

 

CHEROOT:-these are long, slim, tapered at the ends, and thicker in the middle.

STORAGE OF CIGAR

 

·         Cigars get easily damaged by dry heat, temperature fluctuations, smells and damp climate conditions.

 

·        Cigar is stored at a temperature of 15-18 degree Celsius and relative humidity of 65-70 percent.

 

·         Cigars are best stored in humidor. Humidor are polished boxes of cider wood. They help in controlling humidity.

·         A small hygrometer fixed to the box shows the humidity level in the box.

·         Humidors come in different sizes.

        

      SERVICE  OF CIGAR

 

·           In fine-dinning establishments where smoking is permitted cigars are served at the end of meal.

 

·           The cigars may be served either from trolley or humidors. The sommelier must ensure that the trolley is equipped with side plates, cigar cutter, match boxes and ashtrays.

 

·           Present the humidor form left side of the guest tot select their choice.

·           Remove guest’s selection carefully.

 

·           Check with the guest if the band of the cigar may be removed & what type of cut they prefers- Straight or V-cut.

 

·           Take cigar to the sideboard to prepare according to guest choice.

 

·           Open the closed end of the cigar by making a flat or V-cut with an appropriate cigar cutter.

 

·           Present the cigar on quarter plate from guest’s right hand side.

·           Assist the guest while cigar is lit. Always remember foot end of the cigar is lit with wooden matches or gas lighter(never with petrol lighters as it spoils the flavor of the cigar).

·          The cigar should be rotated while lighting. Well matured cigars burn more easily than younger cigars.