Tobacco Quality

[seefoodlover]

So what parts of the tobacco plant actually make it into shisha tobacco? Especially if it is middle eastern tobacco, which is different from american or tobacco from the caribbean, as far as quality goes.

[Tom1]

Where are you finding shisha thats made in the Caribbean?

[Bulldog_916]

I think he's talking about tobaccos raised to make cigars, like Honduran, Ecuadorian, Haitian, Cuban, etc.

To the OP: I think the main differences are the way they are raised and the species. Some middle eastern tobaccos are richer in terms of nicotine content and flavor, some are lighter like Turkish which dont have as much nicotine contained in the leaves or as much flavor.

With cigar tobaccos, you'll tend to have more flavor leak through if you use it to make shisha. You might have to "wash" the tobacco.

[Hassouni]

I was under the impression that some of the Middle Eastern companies use Virginia tobacco--doesn't Al Fakher at least?

[Bulldog_916]

It very well may be that AF uses Virginia tobacco. I cant rule that out. I was just making a generality about the quality of middle eastern raised tobaccos and American and South American species.

[foibled again]

Virginia tobacco refers to any flue-cured (aka bright leaf) tobacco.