The shag varieties are the best. Difference between tobacco and shag

It is generally accepted that shag - the same one that is considered almost one of the symbols of the Soviet soldier in the Great Patriotic War, the worker and the peasant - is simply one of the subspecies of the most common tobacco that arrived in the countries of Western Europe with Christopher Columbus. Not so.

In fact, shag is a plant that is “on its own.” That is, of course, it also belongs to the nightshade family, to which biologists rightly classify tobacco... Stop... And what kind of tobacco - if the number of its species exceeds seven dozen? Need details? Let's begin.

The plant, the products of which are processed into cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, and poured into pipes and hookahs, is called real tobacco, in Latin - Nicotiana tabacum. Since the first tobacco crop, centrally exported from America specifically for the purpose of marketing to Europe, was grown in what was then not yet the state of Virginia, it began to be called Virginia.

Actually, this name stuck. Virginia tobacco itself is now divided into a mass of subspecies, which are determined not by biologists, but by “planters” - even in Russia there are almost a dozen such varieties.

How shag was made and how it is made

Just like tobacco. The leaves (only the soft part, without veins) are dried and crushed. All. True, even in imperial Russia there were entrepreneurs who mixed stalks of village tobacco and the same crushed veins into shag.

They have no taste, and the nicotine content is minimal. But from one, roughly speaking, bush of rural tobacco, a slightly larger finished product was obtained. Over time, the number of stems and veins began to approach 100%, until finally, just before the First World War, the government obliged manufacturers to warn about this on packaging.

Revolution on for a long time deprived smokers of the supply of Virginia tobacco. But shag, that same unpretentious Nicotiana rustica, bloomed in lush colors in vegetable gardens and orchards.

And although its inflorescences are inconspicuous, and its growth - compared to real tobacco - is disappointing, the nicotine content in the leaves turned out to be the envy of the strongest subspecies of tobacco: as much as four percent.

Of course, there was no need to talk about the subtlety of the aroma of shag, but there were no resins, additives and other things that are hidden behind the laconic phrase “Resin content” on cigarette packs. Shag today is probably the purest tobacco, affordable and, no matter what doctors say, safe.

Today shag is still produced. Even to emphasize the continuity with those factories that supplied the country with it half a century or more ago, the packaging of modern shag is deliberately made in a sort of vintage style.

Tobacco and shag in everyday use

In Russia, it has long been believed that tobacco and shag are almost synonymous. Only shag is such a very coarse tobacco that comes exclusively in loose form, and besides, it strongly “tears the throat.”

And the tobacco is thinner, weaker. Shag is suitable for rolling cigarettes or as a last resort for stuffing tubes (and then only in exceptional cases), and tobacco is used for cigarettes and also for pipes.

In general, the difference between tobacco and shag in the everyday sense ends here; only a few touches remain to be added to the portrait of both. A close “relative” of shag is “samosad”, and, as the name implies, this is tobacco planted in one’s own garden.

But tobacco grown in Russia is of low quality, due to two main factors. The first is that tobacco is a heat-loving plant and is practically not grown north of the 55th parallel (approximately the Moscow-Chelyabinsk axis and further to the east), and the second, which is a consequence of the first, is the absence of a tobacco cultivation culture.

“Pipe” tobacco is a 100% imported product; usually has a fairly high quality and is often treated with flavorings.

Comparison

Having decided on the everyday meaning of the words “tobacco” and “shag,” let’s figure out whether there is a difference between them in the botanical sense. It turns out there is! In botany, tobacco is a genus of perennial and annual herbs belonging to the nightshade family - that is, it is a close relative of potatoes and tomatoes. The Colorado potato beetle, a well-known potato pest, also eats tobacco leaves with an excellent appetite.

And shag is one of the plant species belonging to the genus “tobacco”, in Latin – Nicotiana rustica. Its main difference from other tobacco products is its unpretentiousness.

The boundary of the shag's distribution area due to its high resistance to adverse climatic conditions located much further north than other representatives of the genus. In addition, shag is subject to significantly lower requirements than tobacco in general.

The history of the penetration of tobacco into Europe is traditionally associated with the era of great geographical discoveries, when Columbus's sailors brought an unfamiliar plant, and with it the habit of inhaling tobacco smoke.

It is interesting that if tobacco in general is used almost exclusively for the manufacture of cigarettes, cigarettes and cigars, then several more uses have been found for shag. Thanks to high content in citric acid leaves it serves as a raw material for the production of this valuable food product.

In addition, ingredients are extracted from shag to produce nicotine sulfate (a pest control agent) and nicotinic acid(a vitamin involved in many redox processes in the human body).

Shag (lat. Nicotiána rústica) is a species of herbaceous plants from the subgenus Country Tobacco (Rustica) of the Tobacco genus of the Solanaceae family. The word “shag” comes from the name of the city of Amersfoort, which was famous for its tobacco industry in the 18th century.

In Russia and neighboring countries, shag is grown in the southern regions and in middle lane, but in smaller quantities than ordinary tobacco.

IN Latin America use the name “mapacho” to refer to both the shag itself and cigarettes without a filter. Cooked shag tobacco rolled into rolls is called "masatos"

Shag leaves, after fermentation and drying, are used for smoking, and previously they were used to make citric acid, nicotine for the production of nicotine sulfate (for pest control of agricultural crops) and nicotinic acid

The plant is an attribute of healing ceremonies using ayahuasca. Often used in conjunction with others medicinal plants to enhance their impact.

Direct use of tobacco - neutralization of snake venom, wound infections. In Ayahuasca ceremonies, curanderos use tobacco to drive away evil spirits, cleanse space, and relieve traumatic shock.

What is the difference between shag and tobacco?

Often in Soviet films we heard about such a smoking substance as shag. Men tarred it with enviable regularity, and the thick smoke from the cigarette was a striking element even in black and white films. With the development of the tobacco industry, the need to use shag for smoking has disappeared, but now, due to rising prices for cigarettes, many old-timers are returning to simple homemade cigarettes. So what is shag and how does it differ from regular tobacco?

Quality and taste of shag
There is an opinion that shag is the cheapest and low-quality type of tobacco, which was used only by the poorest segments of the population - peasants and workers. In fact, this is not true. Makhorka belongs to an independent species of plants from the nightshade family; its other names are Indian, country or Turkish tobacco. It appeared in everyday life on the European continents thanks to sailors who transported shag along with potatoes from South America. Since then, it has become tobacco's main competitor. This is not surprising - shag has a unique smell and spicy taste.

Shag seeds can grow in soil with any composition. Thanks to such unpretentiousness, it began to quickly spread throughout Europe, including reaching Russia, where people of all classes used it for smoking. A package of shag twisted into a “goat leg” became an integral part of the image of a soldier during the Great Patriotic War. Patriotic War when this substance was included in the list necessary products for the army.

Shag is not tobacco at all

Nicotiana rustic (Country tobacco), plants of the same genus, but a completely different species. it gained popularity due to the plant’s ability to grow in absolutely any area, and therefore its low cost due to the lack of significant expenses for imports.

Shag was made in two main varieties:

1. Smoking room. It was made from the leaves and a small part of the stems of the plant, since making shag for smoking from leaves alone would lead to an undesirable concentration of nicotine, in finished product. Thus, the smoking material was a mixture of brownish grains from leaves, as well as grains white from the stems of a plant.

2.Snuff. Included ground leaves of the plant, as well as essential oil mint, glycerin, ammonia and wine alcohol, salt, refined molasses, sodium carbonate, potash.

Makhorka has become a native Russian, as Peter the Great said, “pampering”. It is worth noting that now its use may also become relevant, since smoking a mixture of natural plant much cheaper and safer than using cigarettes from big tobacco companies.

Seedlings are protected from any frost. When it reaches a height of 10 cm and has five leaves, it can be planted. It is better to do this from May 20 to June 15. Seedlings are planted in beds with distances of 30 by 70 cm.

In the summer, the soil is loosened several times and weeds are pulled out. When two or three flowers open, remove the entire inflorescence and part from the plant. upper leaves. This technique is called topping. For ripening, up to ten leaves are left on each plant, and the excess ones are removed. When lateral shoots appear, reaching five cm in length, they are also all removed.

The shag is removed for drying about a month after finishing. By this time, the middle leaves of the plants droop to the ground, become covered with light yellow spots and emit a strong odor.

First, stratification is performed.

In the middle of the day, the stem of each plant is cut lengthwise: from the crown to the bottom, not reaching three cm from the soil.

After two days, all plants are cut down near the soil level and left in place to wilt.

Then the harvest is brought under a canopy and placed for simmering for a day in a ridge no more than half a meter high. Make sure that the temperature in the ridge does not exceed 35 degrees. The leaves become brownish-brown in the cluster.

After this, the shag stems are hung in the barn in small bunches for 30-40 days to dry. Their humidity is adjusted to 35 percent.

The leaves are separated from the stem and separately, both are crushed by cutting.

How does shag differ from tobacco?

Tobacco itself originated in Europe, where it was grown and then processed from the Nicotiana tabacum plant.

But Peter the first brought “pampering” to Russia - shag, and spread it among the people. Smoking mixture obtained from the plant Nicotiana rustica, which means rustic tobacco.

As a result, it turns out that shag and tobacco are relatives, differing only in the characteristics of cultivation.

And they preferred shag rather than tobacco because only wealthy people, of whom there were not so many, could afford tobacco supplies from Europe.

If tobacco requires a warm climate - it is grown in Bulgaria, in Central Asia - then shag grows well, for example, in the Tula region. Usually shag is different strong taste- For example, Prima and Dymok cigarettes are made from it.

Shag, like tobacco, is not dried, but dried, hanging the cut leaves in ventilated dark rooms, for example in the attic. Strength and taste can be adjusted by blending, for example, with clover or lemon balm.

In the minds of many people lies the belief that shag is the most low grade tobacco, which is produced exclusively for consumption by the poor. But this is a big misconception, since shag is an independent plant from the nightshade family. Common names for shag tobacco - Indian tobacco, Turkish tobacco, Aztec tobacco, shag.

It is worth noting that shag has a unique taste and smell, different from tobacco. Therefore, it was used not only by poor people, but also by representatives of the upper class, as an alternative to tobacco. The gentlemen filled pipes with shag, the ladies sniffed it, and the men rolled the world-famous " goat legs", the secret of whose creation can only be observed on the screens in old films about the war.

Mahorka, which was smoked by many generations of our compatriots and with which Russia went through two great wars of the last century. “You can’t even fight without shag,” said the People’s Commissar Food Industry USSR Anastas Mikoyan, who was also responsible for supplying the front with smoke. “Makhorka is defense.” After the war, shag was part of soldiers' allowances until the 1960s, and after that it was stored in strategic warehouses along with cereals, stewed meat, tobacco and alcohol. Previously, shag was grown in the country all the way to Siberia: this herbaceous plant the nightshade family is not so picky about natural weather conditions like tobacco. Nowadays, shag for the tobacco market is cultivated by single enterprises.

Shag is also used as a separate product; nasvay is made from it - green balls, which in addition to shag include linseed ash, slaked lime, oils and spice plants. Nasvay is not smoked, but placed in the top and lower lip. Under no circumstances should you swallow saliva, as the product can cause vomiting and diarrhea. Nasvay is good as an alternative to smoking. It is recommended to use it for those people who want to quit smoking. The rich taste of tobacco and spices may well satisfy the smoker's needs.

A distinctive feature of shag tobacco is that it is less whimsical than its older brother. Even in the Arctic, shag is successfully grown, because most of all this plant values ​​​​light, not warmth. And during the period of white nights, shag gives the best harvest. Thereby unique property The shag industry took one of the leading places in production, that is, it truly became a consumer product. But against the backdrop of such popularity, in pursuit of profit, many manufacturers began to put the product on the shelves Low quality, adding tobacco stems to clean shag.

The optimal strength of shag is from 1.4 to 2.2% nicotine. Although, depending on the variety, place of growth of shag, and year of harvest, these indicators can vary greatly. Fermented shag leaves can contain nicotine from 2.9 to 4.2% on a dry matter basis, up to 13% protein substances, up to 18% organic acids, and up to 3.3% nitrogen. In the stems these figures are lower - nicotine no more than 2% per dry matter, protein substances up to 8.6%, organic acids up to 11%. By mixing leaves and stems, shag of varying strengths is obtained.

For getting quality product plants are collected in the second half of August and dried until mid-October. After this, in stacks at a temperature of 18 to 20 degrees and with a humidity of at least 75%, the shag undergoes fermentation for 18-25 days.

As a result of this process, the green taste in shag disappears, the leaves acquire a golden-cinnamon hue, the nicotine and carbohydrate content is reduced, resistance to mold increases, and the fullness of the tobacco flavor is revealed. The greenish tint of the leaves and the taste of greenery indicate that the fermentation process took place under inappropriate conditions and did not give the desired result.

Shag is not included in the classification tobacco products and is not subject to excise taxes. Due to the fact that shag was not subject to a strict excise policy, the cost of production and consumer prices for it are very gentle and acceptable for a smoker of any income.

And most importantly, as experts note, shag does not contain any impurities or dubious additives that are used to “coat” the recovered waste of imported tobacco imported to Russia for the production of cigarettes.

Today, the main standard that regulates the quality of shag is GOST 7129-79, which replaced the corresponding GOST 7129-54.

According to it, shag raw materials are divided into three grades.

Raw materials highest quality must have mature, dense leaves of at least six pieces per plant.

Medium grade raw materials must have fully mature leaves in an amount of at least 4 pieces per plant.

Low-grade raw materials must have at least two leaves on the plant, which, by definition, do not fit into the second grade.

The main types in the production of shag are smoking and snuffing.

To obtain the optimal ratio taste qualities, strength, nicotine content, shag tobacco is used different varieties and from different areas.

Real, or virgin tobacco- Nicotiana tabacum

An annual plant that grows wild in South America, where it can reach a height of up to 3 meters; usually does not branch or branches very weakly, the shape and size of the leaves vary greatly among different varieties, the number of leaves ranges from 16-18 to 40-60. The number, size of leaves and thickness of the leaf blade are the main economically valuable traits that determine the yield of tobacco plants. The flowers are pink or reddish, located in a paniculate apical inflorescence. Tobacco is currently cultivated in 84 countries around the world and is characterized by a wide variety of varieties and forms. Its intraspecific polymorphism is constantly increasing due to the creation of new, mainly hybrid forms, as well as due to its inherent plasticity in changing characteristics and properties under the influence of various growing conditions. The botanical taxonomy of this diversity is difficult, therefore the prevailing classification is based on the suitability of tobacco for processing (cigarette tobacco, cigar tobacco, tobacco leaf for wrapping cigars, chewing and pipe tobacco). There are also sustainable tobacco ecotypes that are of industrial importance: Brazilian, Virginia, Cuban, etc. There are 13 varieties of tobacco zoned in our country. The most common: " Virginia", "large-leaved", "Holly", "Anniversary", "Samsun", "Bryansk" And " Cigar".

The cultivation of tobacco, especially cigar tobacco, is quite labor-intensive. Cuban tobacco growers-farmers claim that each plant in the field must be approached at least 150 times per season to obtain excellent quality raw materials (plants at certain stages of development are pinched, then the inflorescences and lower contaminated leaves are removed). After this, the leaves are carefully removed at weekly intervals, sorted by texture and size, dried and winnowed, sorted again, fermented, and aged in bales for many months. What follows is the virtuosic manual labor of cigar factory workers who transform a stack of leaves into amazingly high-quality Havana cigars. There are many interesting stories associated with Havana cigars. John Kennedy, who was very fond of Havana cigars, imposed an embargo on their import into the United States, but only after his personal secretary purchased several thousand Havanas. A Havana cigar signed by Fidel Castro was bought at auction for $65,000 by one of the French tobacco magnates. Among Havana fans was the English writer Evelyn Waugh, who once remarked: “The most useless and unfortunate day seems wonderful when viewed through the blue fragrant smoke of Havana cigars.”

Photo by EDSR.