Roll-Your-Own Tobacco - What Makes It Special
Not only cigar tobacco, but also the roll-your-own tobacco used for making cigarettes can be interesting. With lower taxes than the tobacco in ready-made cigarettes, rolling your own cigarettes offers more than just an aesthetic appeal. However, an increase in the fine-cut tax is often discussed. Nevertheless, rolled cigarettes have gained popularity in recent years.
Manufacturing
Also known as "Shag", due to the former dominance of the Netherlands, roll-your-own tobacco is usually based on the same tobacco varieties as cigar tobacco. The tobaccos are dried, moistened, and stripped. While the ribs are not reused in cigars, they can be partly used in cigarettes. The tobacco is then steamed, flattened, flavored with liquid aromas, finely cut, and roasted. Due to the cutting style, this tobacco is also called "fine-cut". The tobacco fibers end up being longer. Some manufacturers completely remove the central ribs, which is considered a quality feature in cigars, but this is less relevant for cigarettes.
Strength & Flavor Intensity
There are different strengths and flavor intensities in roll-your-own tobacco:
- Zware Shag (strong): Very dark, intensely flavored tobacco that is less common in the German-speaking world.
- Halfzware Shag (medium): Lighter tobacco that is popular throughout Europe. It is slightly milder but still intense in flavor.
- Lichte Shag (light): The lightest and mildest roll-your-own tobacco.
In addition to these Dutch-influenced varieties, there is also the American Shag, which is typically made from domestic varieties like Burley, often supplemented by imported tobaccos. Virginia tobacco resembles the Lichte Shag, while the "Smooth" variety incorporates tobacco from Georgia. Turkish varieties such as Yenidje, Samsun, or Bafra, however, dominate the Turkish variety.
If the tobacco becomes too dry over time, you can place an apple peel in the packaging or hold the tobacco over steaming water for a few minutes, for example using a perforated kitchen utensil. Both methods help to regain the desired moisture and ensure an even result.
Thus, cigarette tobacco is more versatile than one might assume from its frequent use.
