Tobacco leaf undergoes a number of processes before it finally becomes a cigarette, rolling tobacco or another tobacco product, such as snus
Directly after harvesting the leaves are cured. This removes the moisture from them and plays a fundamental role in giving tobacco its flavor and aroma. It also turns the color of the leaves from green to yellow or brown, as the chlorophyll in them breaks down and the natural starches found in the tobacco plant turn to sugars.
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| Tobacco Leaves in Java |
There are three main ways of drying and curing cigarette tobacco:
- Air curing – burley – in unheated enclosed areas
- Flue curing – virginia – in a barn heated by pipes
- Sun curing – oriental – where the leaves are left to dry in the sun
While ‘drying’ may seem like a basic process, the end result is open to infinite variety, reflecting the weather and nutrients in the soil during growing, individual skill and expertise, as well as the type of drying process used.
So after curing, the leaves are graded to reflect their quality.