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Tobacco |
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The Mysterious Case of Tobacco |
| One of my dictionaries tells me that the
word tobacco derives from the West Indies (tabaco). Tabaco is a Spanish word which
probably again derives from an Arabic word: Tabãq. Another dictionary tells the following story: "According to the Spanish writer Oviedo tobacco was the Y-shaped tube through which the Caribs of Haiti inhaled smoke. This is confirmed by the fact that the island of Tobago gets its name from the resemblance of its shape to that of the Carib pipe. Another Spanish writer, Las Casas, uses tobacco for the primitive "cigar" smoked by some Indians. It was the Spaniards who really fixed the name to the herb rather than to the instrument". In the distant past man discovered plants of the genus Nicotiana (nightshade family). There are twelve different kinds of tobacco-plants. Two of them are of special interest to pipe-smokers: Nicotiana Rustica and Nicotiana Tabacum. The most widely cultivated species grows from 1 to 3 m (3 to 10 ft) tall and produces 10 to 20 broad leaves that branch alternately from a central stalk. |
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Cortés,
Hernán |
When you fill tobacco into the hollow bowl of your pipe and lit it you are performing a very old religious act. The smoking of tobacco through a pipe was part of the religious ceremonies of priests in Mexico. It remains a mystery how and why they invented this religious act. But think of the fact that in some religions incense is still being burned as a part of a ritual offering. The smoking of tobacco... Who spread the idea in Europe? Some mention the name: Hernando Cortez (1485-1547). He was a Spanish explorer. In his adventurous life it one day happened that he came to the province Tabasco in Mexico. The peaceable natives showed their pacific intentions by giving the Spaniards tobacco. And this is the first time we hear of the peacepipe in the history of Europe. The natives' pipes were beautifully decorated and you might say that this custom has been observed ever since. Just think of a fine meerschaum. The name of the Aztec emperor was Montezuma, and he knew how to make the strangers comfortable. There were large and impressive ceremonial dinners honoring the Spanish guests, but the best was yet to come: The smoking of tobacco after dinner. Each of the guests received a pipe filled with tobacco smelling like ambergris. The most beautiful dancing girls entertained and all were in good spirits. Those were the days... |
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Perhaps you have often wondered why so many tobaccos carry the name Sir Walter Raleigh or Elizabethan. In those days (1558-1603) Elizabeth was queen of England and Ireland. Among her courtiers she had a favourite - guess who. Sir Walter Raleigh (1552-1618) was an English courtier, navigator, colonizer, and writer. He has almost been regarded as the patron saint of smoking, and many fabulous stories are told of him. One of them is the story of the servant who found Sir Walter smoking and who, thinking that his master was on fire, drenched him with beer. Well, the fact is that Sir Walter helped to popularize
smoking. However, this was not the reason why he was executed - that is a whole different
story (he was put in prison and executed because of a conspiracy against
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Sir Walter Raleigh |
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| James I was a decided opponent of tobacco. In 1604 he published "Counterblast to Tobacco". However, he did not succeed in his crusade against the popular plant. James I were to become better known as the patron of the very famous King James Bible. |  |
| James I's brother in law, Christian IV
(1577-1648) reigned over Denmark. Like James the Danish king was not a friend of tobacco.
However, he did not publish anything against it. Instead he made a prohibition. And he had
a very good reason. King Christian worked hard to make Denmark a great naval power and he
could all too well imagine what would happen if a pipe-smoking sailor came too close to a
gunpowder barrel, so smoking was prohibited on board sailing vessels. Later Christian IV changed his mind. He was now of the opinion that tobacco was good for the sailors' morale. The seafaring men were again allowed to smoke their tobacco and even encouraged to do so. I do not know how the problem of the mixture of a lit pipe and a gunpowder barrel was solved. However, they must have managed in some way. I have never heard of a ship which should have blown up because of that mixture. |
| Let us take a trip to Lisbon and meet the man who had a plant named after him. We are in the year of 1560. The French ambassador Jean Nicot (1530-1600) paid a visit to the famous scientist and horticulturist Damiao de Goes. In the garden Jean Nicot's attention was attracted to especially one plant which should have miraculous effects. Jean Nicot received some leaves of the strange plant. He dried the leaves, pulverized them, and sent the powder to Catherine de Médicis. She suffered from severe headaches and by good fortune her pains were relieved when she used the powder. As a favour to Jean Nicot the plant was given the name of "Herb of Nicot" (or in New Latin: "Herba Nicotiana"). |
| In colonial America the use of tobacco began in the settlement of Jamestown, where, as early as 1615, gardens, fields, and even streets were planted with tobacco, which became the staple crop and principal currency of the colony. After 1775 tobacco culture expanded to North Carolina and west as far as Missouri. |
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Basic Tobaccos |
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| Virginia: |
This tobacco got its name from the state Virginia in USA.
Today the Virginia-tobacco is also grown in Brazil, Zimbabwe, and China. The Virginia is probably the most well-known tobacco. Its colour varies from light golden to dark mahogany. Just like a virgin: She may be fair - and she may be dark. |
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| Burley: |
This tobacco was first grown in the state Kentucky in USA.
Other important places of cultivation: Malawi and Mexico. It smells a bit like chocolate. Roasted, it has a nutty flavour. |
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| Orient: |
We are now in the Mediterranean region. Today the best
qualities are grown in Turkey and Greece. After the harvest, the leaves are dried in the sun. |
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| Latakia: |
Many years ago, the Latakia-tobacco was shipped from this
city in Syria. The city was a Mediterranean seaport. Today, however, most Latakia-tobacco is grown in Cyprus. It is a mild tobacco - but it has a strong aroma. |
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| Kentucky: |
Comes from the state Kentucky in USA. Other places of growing: South-east Africa and Indonesia. The Kentucky-tobacco is never mild. It may be medium and it may be very strong. |
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| Perique: | A strange name indeed. As far as I know, it is Louisianan French, and said to be after Périque, which is a nickname of Pierre Chenet. He was a planter who introduced tobacco-growing in Louisianna. |  |
| Black Cavendish: |
The only basic-tobacco, which is made in the
tobacco-factories on the basis of other basic-tobaccos. Yes, it is black - but it is very mild indeed. |
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How you will meet the tobacco |
| Flakes: Burns slowly. A cool smoke. But it is difficult to fill your pipe with a flake. |
| Cut plug: It is easier to fill your pipe with a cut plug than with a flake. |
| Spun cut: Very expensive to produce. Therefore, you do not see it very often. |
| Cross-cut: Do it the American way, you might say. It is easy to fill your pipe with a cross-cut tobacco. |
| Ready rubbed: A very loose tobacco - and if you are looking for an "easy-to-fill", this is it! |
| Mixtures: You can buy them as they are - or you can make them yourself. Make your own little mixture-factory: Buy various kinds of tobacco - and go ahead! |
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Here it is... |
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The first tobacco I ever smoked: Mac Baren Mixture - it still exists. Through the years I have tried a lot of good tobacco. But frequently I return to this old friend. |
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| And now to a Danish specialty which I have just tried recently: The tobacco is called: Danish Truffles and it is cut in small cubes. How it tastes? Very good. |
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To the top |
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Nicotiana
rustica
A rose is named after
Sir Walter, so he can not
have been all that bad.
