Oriental tobacco

In previous posts we’ve already talked about two main types of tobacco: virginia and burley tobacco. This time we will be talking about a third variety of tobacco for production: Oriental tobacco.

Oriental tobacco is a variety of smaller and very aromatic leaves. It is the third most-produced tobacco in the world and is also the third component of the “American Blend” (between 5 and 10% of the mixture is oriental tobacco).

Its production is mainly focused on Turkey, Lebanon, Bulgaria, Greece and the Republic of Macedonia. Tobacco plants in the east are not very high, they usually measure between 1 and 1.5 meters.

Harvesting is done manually, leaf by leaf. During the process, the leaves are sewn to a rope which is then hung in the sun to dry. This way its aroma intensifies. The drying lasts for 3 to 5 days. Once dry, the leaves turn a dark yeloww and brown colour.

Besides being one of the components of “American Blend”, Oriental tobacco is widely used for mixtures of pipes tobacco that are characteristic for its aroma and flavor.

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