The use of tobacco dates back thousands of years, when the Mayans used it in their religious ceremonies. Tobacco smoke was considered a messenger to the gods and was used in combination with other plants such as marijuana to strengthen communication with the gods. This habit quickly spread to South and Central America as well as the Caribbean islands.
The arrival of tobacco in Europe
Christopher Columbus was the first European to mention tobacco in 1492, and this plant has been introduced to Europe since then. At first, tobacco was considered as a medicinal plant and even Jean Nicot was able to cure the Queen of France from her migraines by using it. This led to nicotine being named in his honor as one of the important components of tobacco.
Beginning of tobacco business
In Spain, tobacco was considered a more valuable product than gold, and the King of Spain controlled its trade. But with the arrival of the British in the new colonies in North America, the tobacco trade expanded further. John Rolfe was one of the first people to plant Spanish tobacco in Jamestown, Virginia, and eventually the tobacco trade to England flourished.
The development of tobacco in the American colonies
With the successful planting of tobacco in Jamestown, Virginia became a major center of tobacco production. English farmers gradually expanded to the north and west and used more land to cultivate this plant. With the expansion of tobacco cultivation to new areas such as Kentucky, different types of tobacco such as Burley, Basma and Virginia tobacco were produced. New tobaccos, such as Kentucky Dark Fired and White Burley, had unique characteristics due to differences in climate and soil.
Developments in tobacco processing
In the 1840s and 1850s, farmers made innovations in the process of drying Virginia tobacco, developing the steam-cured method. This process helped the tobacco to retain its natural sugar and gave the cigarettes a sweet taste. With this development, a new type of tobacco named “Bright Virginia” was born and gained great popularity among consumers.
The emergence of the cigarette industry and transformation in production
During the Crimean War, British and French soldiers were introduced to hand-held cigarettes and took this idea to their countries. Cigar factories were quickly set up in Europe, but with the introduction of the Bonsac automatic cigar machine in North Carolina, cigar production grew rapidly. This development led to aggressive advertising for smoking, and since then, the cigarette industry has continued to grow steadily.
The difference between types of tobacco
The main difference between “Spanish tobacco” and the tobacco found in Jamestown was the type of plant. “Spanish tobacco” was of the Nicotiana Tabacum variety, suitable for smoking cigars and pipes, while Nicotiana Rustica, found in Jamestown, had more nicotine and was not suitable for smoking. Today, Nicotiana Tabacum is used as the main plant in the tobacco industry, but the Rustica species is still used in certain products such as Swedish snus and chewing gum.
Preparation of tobacco for best processing
The tobacco that arrives at our factory usually has a moisture content of 7%, which is very low and may be damaged during the manufacturing process. For this reason, steam is slowly added to the tobacco to make the leaves flexible and processable, ideal conditions for the next steps.
For us at Sigma, quality is everything and we want those who try our products to feel that quality from the moment they open the package. Our tobaccos, whose leaves have been stripped from the central stems, are re-processed to remove the side veins and produce a perfectly clean product.
The tobacco is then left alone for a certain period of time to ensure a uniform moisture content throughout the batch to ensure the successful outcome of the next steps.
