Tobacco Distributors and Wholesalers Key Terms

Learn more about tobacco terminology and definitions in the field

By Nikki Davis

Knowing more about tobacco distributors and wholesalers key terms will help you as a buyer, a seller, a shipper or anyone in between. Being aware of terms and definitions will help you appear more knowledgeable and trustworthy, and it will help you better conduct business with your colleagues and associates. It allows you to become part of the industry conversation by easily and smoothly participating, and you can also exercise your knowledge by sharing what you know.

Tobacco distributors and wholesalers key terms can include types of tobacco, methods for harvesting or preparing it and more. You want to be prepared for conversations about every stage of the process from planting to smoking, so familiarize yourself with every step of the way. You should also be prepared to answer questions centered around and based on terminology consistent with medical concerns regarding the tobacco industry as well.

Hookah

Hookah smoking involves the smoker inhaling through a tube where the pressure difference forces air past the heat source, which gives you the smoke. Smoke passes through the water in the chamber and is inhaled by the smoker.
Try: Find out more about hookah tobacco smoking and the health implications from the Mayo Clinic.

Blending

Blending is when you combine different green or redried grades of tobacco products as instructed by your customer. You can either make an original blend or a hybrid blend, which is a blend sample of an existing style of blend.
Try: Find out more about tobacco blending from Tobacco Blending.com.

Curing

Curing of tobaccos leaves is when you dry freshly harvested leaves. Flue-cured means that it is processed by artificial heat whereas burley means that is cured in sheds or barns.
Try: Find out about curing tobacco leaves from Plantation House.

Threshing

Threshing is the process by which the producer cuts up the tobacco leaf and removes the stems.
Try: See where in the process of tobacco processing threshing lies in this diagram from Siemens.

Priming

Tobacco priming is when the tobacco is harvested by the tobacco leaves being individually picked or in leaf groupings as they ripen on the plant. This method is generally used for flue-cured tobaccos.
Try: Check out tobacco priming at A Day on the Carter Farm, a part of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources Office of Archives and History.

Snuff

Snuff is a finely cut, ground, or powdered tobacco that is not intended to be smoked. It is usually inhaled or "snuffed" through the nose.
Try: Learn more about snuff from the American Cancer Society.