Main tobacco types
There are three main tobacco types which are accounted for almost amount of tobacco material in the world includes: Virginia tobacco, Burley tobacco and Oriental tobacco.
Virginia tobacco
Virginia tobacco (accounted for 40% of world tobacco production) is flue cured. Flue curing includes the heat using which turns the green leaves to a bright golden brown color. This is the type of tobacco used in most cigarettes.
Burley tobacco
Burley tobacco (accounted for 11% of world tobacco production) contains a higher amount of nicotine, but it can be hard to inhale unless mixed with other tobaccos. Burley tobacco is typically air cured.
Oriental tobacco
Oriental tobacco (accounted for 16% of world tobacco production) also referred to as Turkish tobacco which is low in nicotine level and is implemented to the American blend since its flavor characteristics. Oriental tobacco is sun cured.
Others
The rest are other less popular tobacco lines which are accounted for about 33%, in which dark air-dried tobacco mainly takes over with 20% (including many different tobacco varieties such as sumatra and besuki of Indonesia) and many other less common tobacco varieties.
Flavors
There are four basic types of tobacco flavors typical of each raw material region, tobacco plant variety, and drying method.
| Basic flavours | Characteristic | Main tobacco types | Drying and harvesting method |
| Aromatic | – Different and diverse – Great fragrance (mainly from the Mediterranean region) – Long lasting scent | Oriental | Dried in direct sunlight |
| Bright | – Dry and gentle – Wood and grass composition – Clean after smoking | Virginia | Indirect heat dried through the furnace heat pipe |
| Earth | – Passionate and satisfying, full of fragrance – Strong flavor from roasted leaves – Quickly fade away | Burley | Dried in the warehouse to avoid direct sunlight |
| Dark | – Burning and intense – Fermented under extreme conditions, smoky taste and aged in barrels – Pleasant aftertaste | Dark smoked tobacco | Smoke-dried directly heat from the furnace (not through the heat pipe) |
