Varieties
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- Macedonian Tobacco Area - it spreads
all over the south-western part of the country. Tobaccos grown
here have lighter colour with sweet and tasty and smoke, high
cigarette yield and excellent burning rate. The following
varieties are grown in the region: Nevrokop, Melnik and Dupnitza,
each of them with its specific character within the typical
features of the region, climate being influenced by draughts
coming from synclines of the Mesta and Struma Rivers as well
as by the various types of soils and relief of the slopes
and skirts of the three mountains: Rila, Pirin and the Rodopes.
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- Nevrokop variety - the growing region covers a large
area, situated between Blagoevgrad, Gotze Delchev and Smoljan.
Tobacco has refined smoking - and - gustatory characteristics,
originating from the Basma strain tobacco. It combines also
favourable taste, completeness and light, delicate flavor.
The color of the leaves varies from light orange to orange-red,
often with light greenish nuance, which turns into a shiny
intensive colour of rich, elastic and resinous leaves with
gentle and curly surface.
Nicotine content - from 0.8 to 1.2 per cent
Sugar content - from 10 to 15 per cent
- Melnik variety - the growing region covers the most
south - western part of the tobacco area, the broad valley
of the lower course of the Struma River. The Melnik tobaccos
are distinctive for their nobility, delicate flavor and pleasant,
rich and sweet taste. Their leaves are of light-orange, golden
or orange colour, balanced in composition, rich, velvet and
silky.
Nicotine content - from 0.9 to 1.3 per cent
Sugar content - from 10 to 15 per cent
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- Dupnitza variety - the growing region covers the northern
part of the Macedonian Tobacco Region, which spreads from Kjustendil
and Dupnitza to Blagoevgrad and is situated in the skirts and slopes
of the Rila Mountain. Leaves differ in shape from the other varieties,
grown in the region and they have a specific yellow or orange colour
with reddish nuance. Tobaccos have the pleasant smoke of the Macedonian
varieties combined with a balanced taste. Tobaccos from some places
can compete with the most tender Oriental tobaccos.
Nicotine content - from 0.9 to 1.5 per cent
Sugar content - approx. 12 per cent
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- Plovdiv Tobacco Area - it spreads over
the western part of the Thracian Plain and the mountain slopes,
which are situated in its marginal part. Tobaccos from the
Ustina, Srednogorska Yaka as well as a percentage of Harmanli
varieties are grown here.
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In the past, when Europeans used to smoke Oriental cigarettes
only, i.e. before development of modern technologies for cigarette
production and especially before the introduction of the American
blend cigarettes, people used to produce the Perushtitza -
Ustina variety, which had the most delicate, strong and typical
flavor, " better than a French fragrance ". No luxury
and expensive cigarette blend could do without this tobacco
variety.
The tobacco cultivated in this region is more deeply red,
with oval and slightly lengthened leaves with thick to thin
leaf blade of deep yellow or orange red color. It has good
smoking taste of average or over the average strength and
intensive, specific and delicate flavor.
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- Ustina variety - it is known for its specific smoking properties
and relatively high content of nicotine and resinous and aromatic
compounds.
Nicotine content - 1.5 per cent
Sugar content - approx. 10 per cent
- Srednogorska Yaka variety - this variety is close to the
Ustina variety but the climate and soils of the region where it
is grown cause a decrease of its resinous and aromatic composition.
Nicotine content - 1.55 per cent
Sugar content - 8 to 12 per cent
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- Rodope -Thracian Plovdiv Tobacco Area
- it covers the Eastern Rodopes east of the Asenovgrad - Smoljan
line, almost the whole territory of South - eastern Bulgaria
along the lower course of the Maritza River and the course
of the Arda River, the Sakar Mountain, part of the southern
slopes of the Sredna Gora Mountain and the Stara Planina Mountain.
The tobacco varieties grown there are one of the most renown
Bulgarian Oriental tobaccos, both in the past and today. Tobacco
with noble qualities is cultivated in this region.
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- Djebel - Basma variety - its growing region covers
the East Rodopes. Between 5 and 8 thousand tons of high quality
Basma tobacco were produced here in the past. The Basma tobacco
is equal to the best known Greek Basma in its smoking qualities,
strength and flavor delicacy and it is superior in its technological
characteristics: burning rate and filling power. The Djebel
- Basma tobacco is small (over 5 thousand leaves per kilogram
), its leaves are oval with bright yellow or golden - orange
colour, with delicate and elastic texture, rich in resins.
Nicotine content - 1.0 per cent
Sugar content - 9 to 13 per cent
The decrease in the production of Djebel - Basma tobacco
is the clearest example how market demand influences tobacco
production in the country.
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- Krumovgrad variety - classical aromatic Bulgarian Oriental
tobacco of Basma character, enriched by the specific region. The
average annual production in the near past was 20 thousand tons,
and in some years it was even greater.
Krumovgrad tobacco combines full, balanced and sweet taste with
supreme, typical and intensive aroma and is excellent for cigarette
production. The current types of the variety have been selected
for years. They bear the best qualities of the old types: Sultansko,
Koshukavak etc. It has curly leaves of orange or bright red colour
and delicate, thin and elastic texture.
Nicotine content- 1.3 per cent
Sugar content - 12 per cent
- Topolovgrad variety - it is grown on the northern slopes
of the Sakar Mountain and it spreads over some parts of the Rodope
-Thracian and Tundja - Black Sea tobacco regions.
This is another unique tobacco variety with small, almost Basma
- size leaves, which are velvet smooth, slightly curly and with
good elasticity. The leaves are with orange or copper - red, sometimes
mat color. Topolovgrad variety is close to the Krumovgrad in its
smoking qualities. It has full and tasty smoke, and special aroma.
The above average physiological strength is softened by its balanced
chemical composition.
Nicotine content - 1.5 - 1.75 per cent
Sugar content - 8 - 13 per cent, average 10,5 per cent
- Harmanli variety - This variety is mainly grown in the
fields and on the mountainous slopes in Haskovo, Harmanli regions
and partly in Pirvomai and Asenovgrad regions, part of the Plovdiv
tobacco area. Tobaccos are of orange, orange - red or red colour,
with good elasticity and burning. They have rich content and strength
of smoking as well as specific gentle flavor.
Nicotine content - 1.5 - 1.75 per cent
Sugar content - approximately 13 per cent
- Svilengrad variety - it is grown in the eastern part of
the area. The tobacco combines the qualities of the neighbouring
Harmanli, Topolovgrad and Krumovgrad varieties. It has a distinct
nature and specific quality. This variety possesses excellent taste
and pleasant aroma. Its leaves are golden yellow or red - orange,
elastic, with gentle texture. Cigarette manufacturers show a big
interest towards this tobacco.
Nicotine content - 1.5 - 2 per cent
Sugar content - 9 - 13 per cent, average 10 per cent
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- Tundja - Black Sea tobacco area - it
spreads over the eastern part of South Bulgaria to the Black
Sea coast. Tobacco is grown along the Tundja River and the
skirts and slopes of the mountains.
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East Balkan variety is grown in the area. Its leaves
are with gentle texture, curly form, velvet surface, light
orange or copper - red color , good filling power. It has
a very good, balanced and rich smoking taste, specific intensive,
delicate and pure aroma, average strength and good burning
rate.
Nicotine content - 1.1 - 1.5 per cent
Sugar content - approximately 12.5 per cent
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- Northern Bulgarian Area - it covers the Oriental tobacco
producing regions in the northern part of the country.
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- North Bulgaria variety is grown in the area. The
leaves are with yellow or orange color with average chemical
composition. It has good to neutral taste, normal tobacco
flavor and excellent burning rate. Tobacco with more specific
aroma can be found in some villages of the area.
Nicotine content - approximately 1.8 per cent
Sugar content - 7 - 13 per cent
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