flue-cured tobacco

Flue-cured tobacco, also known as flue-cured tobacco, originated in Virginia, USA, and has special morphological characteristics, so it is also called Virginia type. The main characteristics of flue-cured tobacco are tall plants and sparse and evenly distributed leaves. General plant height 120- 150cm, 20-30 leaves per plant, moderate leaf thickness and best intermediate quality. It is not advisable to apply too much nitrogen fertilizer in cultivation. Leaves mature from bottom to top and are harvested in stages. The original production method was also sun-drying, and later (1869) it was baked with a fire tube and made in a curing barn, and it was golden yellow after baking. Its chemical composition is characterized by high sugar content, low protein content and moderate nicotine content. Flue-cured tobacco is the largest tobacco variety in China and the world. It is the main raw material of cigarette industry, and also used for fighting cigarettes. The main countries producing flue-cured tobacco in the world are China, the United States and India, followed by Brazil, Zimbabwe, Thailand, Canada and Japan. The planting area and total output of flue-cured tobacco in China rank first in the world. The key producing areas are Henan, Shandong, Yunnan, Guizhou, Heilongjiang, Hunan, Hubei, Shaanxi, Anhui and other provinces, and Sichuan, Guangdong, Fujian, Liaoning, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Jilin and other provinces (regions) also have large-scale cultivation.

Sun-cured tobacco

Sun-cured tobacco leaves are modulated by sunlight, mainly including sun-cured red tobacco and sun-cured yellow tobacco. The appearance characteristics and chemical composition of sun-cured yellow tobacco are generally similar to those of flue-cured tobacco, while sun-cured red tobacco is quite different from flue-cured tobacco. Sun-cured tobacco generally has few leaves and thick mesophyll. After sun-cured, it is mostly dark brown or brown, and the upper leaves have the best quality. Tobacco leaves are generally low in sugar, high in protein and nicotine, strong in smoke flavor and strong in energy. Sun-cured tobacco is mainly used for pipes, hookahs and cigarettes, and also used as raw materials for cigar core leaves, bound leaves, snuff and chewing tobacco. In addition, some sun-cured tobacco can also be processed into pesticides. The main countries producing sun-cured tobacco in the world are China and India. Sun-cured tobacco is planted in all provinces in China, but it is scattered, and it is concentrated in Sichuan, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hunan, Hubei, Yunnan, Jilin, Shandong, Shaanxi and other provinces.

Yellow smoke

Sun-cured tobacco can be divided into light-colored sun-cured tobacco and dark-colored sun-cured tobacco according to the depth of leaf color. There are three preparation methods: semi-drying, semi-drying, folding drying and shelf drying. Generally speaking, sun-cured yellow tobacco is close to flue-cured tobacco, especially light-colored sun-cured yellow tobacco. It is similar to flue-cured tobacco in appearance, chemical composition, smoke and taste. Dark sun-cured tobacco is a type between light sun-cured tobacco and red sun-cured tobacco. Compared with light sun-cured yellow tobacco, the leaf color is darker, the nitrogen content is higher and the sugar content is lower. These differences are mainly caused by different cultivation conditions and modulation methods besides variety factors. The main producing areas of sun-cured yellow tobacco are Nanxiong in Guangdong, Huanggang in Hubei, Xunxian, Jiaohe in Jilin, Guangfeng in Jiangxi and Shangrao.

Sun-dried red smoke

Refers to the dried reddish-brown tobacco leaves. This kind of sun-cured tobacco can be subdivided into old red, secondary red and dark brown. Sun-cured red tobacco is the raw material for making mixed tobacco, dry tobacco and pipe tobacco. Good quality sun-cured red tobacco is also the raw material for making cigar core leaves and inner foreskins. For example, Guangdong Heshan Tobacco, Sichuan Suo Tobacco and Guizhou Dabin Tobacco all belong to sun-cured red tobacco.

Smoke in the sun

Refers to the accumulation of tobacco leaves covered with yellow before drying. It can be used as raw material of dry tobacco, and its value is extremely high. For example, Jiaohe, Jilin and so on. , belongs to the sun.

Tobacco curing

There is a difference between light-colored air-dried tobacco (burley tobacco and Maryland tobacco) and dark-colored air-dried tobacco, both of which are in the shade.

It is dried in a ventilated place. Among them, burley tobacco, Maryland tobacco and cigar rolled leaf tobacco have their own characteristics. However, in China, except burley tobacco, all other traditional air-cured tobacco, including cigars and Maryland cigarettes, belong to the air-cured tobacco type.

Cigars wrap the leaves. Cigar rolled leaf tobacco is usually planted in the shade with wide leaves. The middle and lower tobacco leaves are thin and light after air-drying, with fine veins, fine texture, strong elasticity, uniform taupe or brown color and good combustibility, which can be used as raw materials for cigar wrapping. Cigar production in China began at the beginning of this century. Cigarettes are mainly produced in Sichuan and Zhejiang, with Sichuan being the most abundant and Tongxiang, Zhejiang being the best. The countries that produce cigars in the world mainly include Cuba, the Philippines, Indonesia and the United States.

Maryland tobacco is light-colored air-cured tobacco, which has the characteristics of strong resistance, wide adaptability, large and thin leaves, good smoldering property and delicious taste. Therefore, when it is mixed with other types of tobacco leaves, it can improve the smoldering performance of cigarettes without disturbing the aroma and taste. The tar and nicotine content of Maryland tobacco is lower than that of flue-cured tobacco and burley tobacco, and its filling performance is stronger. Therefore, in mixed cigarettes, because of its addition, not only can the proportion of oriental tobacco be reduced, but also the proportion of flue-cured tobacco and burley tobacco can be maintained. The main producer of Maryland tobacco in the world is the United States, mainly concentrated in Maryland. In China, with the development of mixed cigarettes, Maryland tobacco has been introduced for trial planting in recent years, and a small amount of production has also been made in Hubei and other places.

Traditional air-dried cigarettes. The traditional drying area of tobacco leaves in China is small, and there is a small amount of production in Wuming, Guangxi and Yongsheng, Yunnan. The cultivation method of Wuming air-dried tobacco is basically the same as that of sun-dried red tobacco, but the modulation method is to hang the whole tobacco leaf in a cool and ventilated place, and then stack, process and ferment the tobacco leaf after air-drying. The prepared tobacco leaves are dark brown, full of oil, strong in elasticity, rich in flavor and good in combustion performance.

burley tobacco

Burley tobacco is a mutant of dark sun-cured tobacco variety in Maryland. 1864, a farm in Brown County, Ohio, USA first discovered a milky yellow mutant tobacco plant in Maryland broadleaf tobacco seedbed. After special planting, it was proved to have special utilization value, thus developing into a new type of tobacco. Now it has become an important raw material for mixed cigarettes. The stems and veins of burley tobacco are milky white, which is very different from other cigarettes. Its cultivation method is similar to flue-cured tobacco, but it requires large and thin leaves in the middle and lower parts, which is suitable for planting in fertile soil and requires high nitrogen nutrition. Burley tobacco has fast production speed and concentrated maturity, and can be harvested by stages or the whole plant. The preparation method is to hang it in a drying shed or dry it indoors. Burley tobacco has higher nicotine and total nitrogen content than flue-cured tobacco, lower sugar content, thinner leaves, strong elasticity, strong filling ability, strong smoldering resistance and good absorption ability, and it is easy to absorb materials during rolling. Burley tobacco is mainly produced in the United States, followed by Italy, Spain, South Korea, Mexico, Malawi and the Philippines. Burley tobacco in China was introduced and developed after liberation, and the planting area in Hubei and Sichuan provinces is relatively large.

Oriental tobacco

Oriental tobacco is also called Turkish tobacco or oriental tobacco. This kind of cigarette is characterized by small plant leaves, strong fragrance, good taste, flammability and strong filling ability. It is an important raw material for sun-cured tobacco perfume and mixed type, and is also mixed into bucket smoke. The aroma of oriental tobacco mainly comes from its glandular hair secretion or exudate, and its aroma is closely related to soil, climate and cultivation measures, so it is suitable for planting in hillside sandy land with little organic matter, low fertility and thin soil layer. In the production, the leaves of oriental tobacco are required to be small and thick, so the planting density is high and the fertilization amount is generally small. In particular, it is necessary to control nitrogen fertilizer, properly apply phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, and do not top it. The quality of tobacco leaves is the best in the top leaves, and they are harvested from bottom to top in stages. The preparation method is to dry it in the sun until it withers and turns yellow, and then expose it to the sun. Nicotine content is low, and other chemical components are between flue-cured tobacco and sun-cured red tobacco. The history of oriental tobacco began about 100 years after the discovery of America, and it was mainly produced in the eastern coastal areas of the Mediterranean. China introduced planting in 1950s, and it has been produced in Xinchang, Zhejiang, Yunyang, Ruyang, Henan, Xinjiang, Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangdong, Hainan, Shaanxi and other places.

Huanghua tobacco

The fundamental difference between common flower tobacco and the above types of tobacco is that they belong to different species in plant taxonomy and have great differences in biological characteristics. Generally, the plant height is 50- 100cm, the leaves are 10- 15, the leaves are small, oval or heart-shaped with petioles; The colors are green and yellow, and the seeds are also very large; Short growth period, cold tolerance, mostly planted in areas with high latitude, high altitude and short frost-free period. Generally, the content of total nicotine, total nitrogen and protein in Huanghua tobacco is high, but the sugar content is low and the smoke smell is strong. According to research, before Columbus discovered the New World, Mexico had planted yellow tobacco. It originated in the highlands of Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador, and is now widely planted in West Asia. The former Soviet Union planted the most yellow-flowered tobacco, which they called frog mixed tobacco. China has a long history of cultivating Huanghua tobacco, which is widely distributed in Xinjiang, Gansu, Heilongjiang and other places. Among the products, Lanzhou hookah, Kanto frog joint tobacco and Yili frog joint tobacco are the most famous. Although some countries, such as the United States, grow yellow tobacco, it is not used for smoking, but only for making nicotine sulfate.

smoke

Also known as open-flame flue-cured tobacco, it is one of the ancient methods to prepare tobacco leaves in the United States. The method is to directly generate coal fire or firewood indoors, and the tobacco leaves are hung in the curing barn to directly contact with the fire, so it is called smoking. Tobacco leaves are in direct contact with flue gas, and the color after modulation is dark, with strong special fragrance such as creosote. They are used as one of the raw materials of cigarettes, and also used to produce chewing cigarettes, snuff and cigars. Flue-cured tobacco varieties are generally dark air-cured tobacco varieties, and sometimes flue-cured tobacco varieties are also used. When cultivated, it is suitable for heavy soil, with large spacing between rows and plants, low topping and leaves 12- 16. Its chemical components are high in nitrogen, especially nicotine, and low in sugar.

Mixed smoke

Mixed cigarettes originated in the United States, also known as American cigarettes. Camel is the first mixed cigarette brand in America. The formula of mixed cigarette is composed of flue-cured tobacco, sun-cured tobacco, air-cured tobacco and other tobacco leaves, which is characterized by rich aroma, mellow smoke and brownish red cut tobacco. Tar is relatively low and gives smokers greater satisfaction.