This article is an introduction to nasal snuff tobacco. Swedish moist snuff is sold as snus. American moist snuff is known as dip.
Snuff is a smokeless tobacco made from leaves that have been ground fine. It is taken through the nose, not the mouth. A small pinch is lifted and drawn in lightly, enough to carry the nicotine and the scent. Some take it from the back of the hand. Others pinch it between finger and thumb. A few use a small tool made for the purpose. The act is brief and practiced. There is no need for more.
Snuff began in the pre-colonial Americas and by the seventeenth century it had crossed the ocean and taken hold in Europe. The making of snuff is slow and exacting. The leaves are cured and fermented first. This gives them their character. Afterward they are milled, step by step, until the texture is right. Many snuffs are stored for months, sometimes years, before they are ready. Time does the work. Nothing else will.
Some snuffs are left plain. These are the old styles, made only from selected tobaccos. Others are scented. Spices came early, then fruits and flowers, then menthol. Some blends are sharp and medicinal. Others are round and sweet. Each maker keeps his own formulas. Some keep special ones for favored customers. Coffee and chocolate are commonly added flavors. So are honey, vanilla, cherry, citrus, apricot, and plum. There are darker notes too: camphor, cinnamon, rose, spearmint. Newer blends use bourbon, cola, and whisky.
Snuff varies in feel and moisture. Some is ground very fine, almost like dust. Some is coarse. Some is dry and toasted. Some is dark and damp. The finer snuffs are often the driest. Each has its place and its moment.
There are also snuffs without tobacco. These are made from herbs or powders such as glucose. They contain no nicotine. Strictly speaking, they are not snuff, but they serve a purpose. Some use them to avoid tobacco. Others use them to soften a stronger blend. As with all things worth doing, the measure is taken by the user.
Snuff is simple. It rewards patience and attention. It has endured because it needs no explanation once it is understood.
Read more about European Style Dry Nasal Snuff here >>>
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