Tobacco — Manufacturing Process, 7 Tobacco Types, Cigar Parts & Wrapper Colours, Humidor & Cigarette Service

Bysomebikram
F&B Service · Part 5 · Module 33

Tobacco — Manufacturing Process, 7 Tobacco Types, Cigar Parts & Wrapper Colours, Humidor & Cigarette Service

By Tourism369 · Food and Beverage Service · UGC NET Paper 2

Tobacco genus = Nicotiana. Jean Nicot introduced tobacco to France. Columbus found it in 1492. Planting to shipment = 2 years. Humidor storage = 15–18°C, 65–70% humidity. Good cigar = grey ash. Strong cigar = black ash. Churchill cigar = 7 inches, ring gauge 48.

📖 Introduction & History

Tobacco = farmed from leaves of genus Nicotiana, family Solanaceae (nightshade). Used for smoking, chewing, snuffing and nicotine extraction. Native American Indians = first to discover tobacco. 1492: Christopher Columbus found they smoked it in pipes for medicinal + ceremonial purposes. Columbus brought leaves + seeds to Europe. Jean Nicot (French diplomat) introduced tobacco to France 1556. Portugal 1558 · Spain 1559 · England 1565. 1612: John Rolfe commercialised tobacco in Virginia. First cigarette-making machine = James Buchanan, late 1800s. By 1960s: researchers proved smoking causes lung cancer + heart disease.

🌱 Manufacturing Process (Total: 2 Years)
1. Planting
Seeds scattered on soil beds. Germinate in 45 days at 18°C. Transplanted at 6–8 inches height (5–6 weeks). Fertilizer = apatite (restricts nitrogen flow → desired flavours). Healthy plant = 9–20 leaves, 24–30 inches tall.
2. Harvesting
Ready 5–8 weeks after transplanting. Process = Priming (plucking individual mature leaves). Leaves mature from ground first → tip last. Cigarette and hookah tobacco = priming process. Cigars and bidis = cut from the shoot.
3. Curing — 4 Methods
Flue Curing: Heat pumped into barn via hollow ducts (flues). 4–5 days. Tobacco then ferments 3–4 weeks. Suitable for cigarettes.
Air Curing: Natural. Well-ventilated barn at 65–70°C. 4–5 days. Low sugar content, HIGH nicotine.
Fire Curing: Smoldering hardwood pit in barn. Smoke gives distinctive flavour. 3 days to 3 weeks.
Sun Curing: Direct sun for 1 month. Colour changes green → orange. HIGH sugar content.
4. Manufacturing
Freshly cured tobacco has bitter aroma. Stored in barrels for 2–3 years. Water added at intervals to retain moisture. Flavours (menthol, honey etc.) may be added.
🌿 7 Types of Tobacco
1. Virginia (Bright Tobacco)
Most popular. 39–51 inches tall, 18–22 leaves. Flue cured. Lemon to orange colour. Sweet taste, high sugar. Used in ALL cigarette blends.
2. Burley
Air cured. Low sugar. Good aroma. Absorbs flavours from aromatic herbs → used for aromatic products. Slow burning, cool smoke.
3. Spice Tobacco
A blend of several types used in small quantities to create interesting blends.
4. Oriental
Dry, dusty, slightly sour aroma. Turkey, Balkans, Russia. Used in exotic cigarettes for Egypt and Arab countries.
5. Latakia
Most popular spice tobacco. Cyprus. Fire cured with aromatic wood + herbs → distinctive smoky flavour. Strong. Burns + dries mouth and throat.
6. Perique
Grown in St. James, Louisiana. Very rare. Slow burning. Very high nicotine. Never smoked alone. Fermented in oak barrels.
7. Kentucky
Specially treated Burley from Kentucky. Less strong than Latakia. High nicotine = used in limited amounts.
🍂 Cigars — Structure, Storage & Service

3 Parts: Filler (innermost, long/short leaves, dictates strength) · Binder (coarse middle leaf, holds filler, compresses it for even burn) · Wrapper (outermost, finest quality, high elasticity, smooth, sealed with natural gum).

Cigar shapes: Parejos (cylindrical, open foot/closed head) · Figurados (irregular — pyramid, torpedo, perfecto). Churchill = 7″, ring gauge 48 (named after British PM). Robusto = 5–5½”, ring gauge 50 (finest Cuban cigar).

Wrapper colours: Claro (CCC) = light golden, mild. Colorado Claro (CC) = light-brown, full-bodied. Colorado (C) = medium-brown, rich. Colorado Maduro (CM) = dark brown, aromatic. Maduro (M) = very dark/black, sweet + strong. Double Claro = light green/yellow, mild + sweet. Oscuro = black, full-bodied + strong.

Storage — Humidor
Cigars very sensitive to temperature. Ideal: 15–18°C, 65–70% humidity. Stored in cedar wood Humidors (air-tight, lined with damp cloth). Different sections for different types.
Judging a Cigar
Good cigar = firm grey ash · Mild cigar = white ash · Strong cigar = black ash
3 Types of Cuts
Guillotine (straight cut, single or double blade) · V Cut (wedge, deeper penetration, better air circulation) · Punch (circular hole at head using cylindrical cutter)
Cigar Service Procedure
1. Clean ashtray on table. 2. Present cigar box from LEFT. 3. Remove selected cigar without fingernails touching wrapper. 4. Ask guest’s preferred cut. 5. Make cut at sideboard. 6. Tap cut cigar to remove particles. 7. Present on quarter plate from LEFT. 8. Light with matchstick.
🚬 Cigarettes

French = “small cigars.” Cylindrical. Machine-rolled in cigarette paper (from flax, hemp, sisal, rice straw). Most have filters = 95% cellulose acetate. Cigarette vs Cigar: smaller size · processed leaf · paper wrapping (usually white).

Types by quality: Virginia cigarettes = best, can be smoked any time. Turkish = best aromatic, most expensive in the world. Egyptian = best appreciated after meals (strong aroma).

Service: Hotels sell full packs only (not loose). Present opened pack on B&B plate from LEFT. Light match towards yourself, bring to cigarette.

Famous brands: Benson & Hedges (UK, 1873) · Camel (USA, 1913) · Davidoff (Switzerland, 1929) · Dunhill (UK, 1908) · Marlboro (Philip Morris) · Pall Mall (British American Tobacco).

🎯 UGC NET Key Points — Part 5 Module 33
◆ Tobacco genus = Nicotiana · Family = Solanaceae
◆ Columbus found tobacco in 1492 · Jean Nicot introduced it to France (1556)
◆ John Rolfe commercialised tobacco in Virginia, 1612
◆ Total time from planting to shipment = 2 YEARS
◆ Priming = plucking individual mature leaves (for cigarettes/hookah)
◆ Flue Curing = best for cigarettes · Air Curing = low sugar, high nicotine
◆ Sun Curing = high sugar content · Fire Curing = smoky flavour
◆ Virginia tobacco = most popular, sweet, high sugar, all cigarette blends
◆ Latakia = fire cured in Cyprus with aromatic herbs → most popular spice tobacco
◆ Cigar: Filler (innermost) + Binder + Wrapper (outermost, finest quality)
◆ Humidor = cedar wood storage box · 15–18°C · 65–70% humidity
◆ Good cigar = grey ash · Mild = white ash · Strong = black ash
◆ Churchill cigar = 7 inches, ring gauge 48 (named after British PM)
◆ Robusto = finest Cuban cigar · 5–5½ inches, ring gauge 50
◆ Cigar presented from LEFT · Cigarette pack on B&B plate from LEFT
◆ Turkish cigarettes = best aromatic, most expensive in the world
Continue Learning

Next: Module 34 — Bar Operations

F&B Service Hub UGC NET Hub

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *