Tobacco Facts

It is commonly assumed that tobacco is tobacco, and the only function is to provide a nicotine "hit." This is not necessarily true. A number of factors can make one tobacco crop different from another, and tobacco can be (and has been) used for different purposes.

History

• It is believed that tobacco was grown as far back as 6,000 B.C., but only in North, Central and South America.

Function

• Tobacco has been used for medicinal purposes (to relieve earaches and insect stings), and is sometimes used in Native American tribal ceremonies, but the main function is for smoking, chewing, or "dipping" in order to ingest nicotine.

Geography

• Tobacco can be grown anywhere that gets plenty of sun and where the soil drains well. It can be grown from Connecticut to Florida and as far west as Wisconsin. Tobacco grown in Connecticut will be different in taste and texture than tobacco that is grown in Florida, so mixing different types together will result in a better-tasting tobacco.

Identification

• When tobacco is being grown, the leaves are a light-to-medium green. As they dry, the leaves turn the characteristic brown color that is seen in tobacco products.

Types

• There are many different types of tobacco, including flue-cured, burley, Maryland, dark air-cured, cigar wrapper, Oriental, dark-fired, perique, and rustica.