Tobacco Key Terms

Get to know some important tobacco definitions

By Nikki Davis

Knowing more about tobacco key terms will help a buyer, a seller, a shipper or anyone in between. Being aware of terms and definitions will help you appear more knowledgeable and trustworthy as a business person, and it will help you better in the field when working with colleagues and other contacts. It allows you to become part of the industry conversation by allowing you to exercise your knowledge by sharing what you know.

Tobacco key terms can include types of tobacco, methods for harvesting or preparing the plant and more. You want to be prepared for conversations about every stage of the process in the tobacco industry from planting to smoking. So you want to familiarize yourself with every step of the process along the way. Whatever role you play with tobacco, you should also be ready to answer questions concerning the terminology revolving around medical concerns that center around the tobacco industry as well.

Hogshead

The hogshead is the cylindrical wooden container that has two mats and two heads. It is about four feet in diameter and four feet tall and holds approximately 1,000 pounds of tobacco.
Try: Find out more about a hogshead of tobacco from Tobacco.org. The Good Stuff also has information on hogsheads of tobacco as well.

Grading

Grading is classifying tobacco by its physical characteristics such as its body, its color or its stalk size.
Try: Find out about tobacco grading from The United States Department of Agriculture Agriculture Marketing Service. Find out "Detailed Information on the Agricultural Commodity Grading and Certification Programs Assessment" from ExpectMore.gov.

Dealer

Tobacco dealers are federally-approved brokers of tobacco sales.
Try: Find out more information on tobacco dealers from the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association.

Prize room

The prize room is where redried units of tobacco are packed weighted and tagged.
Try: Learn about the prize room from Becker's Quality Cigar Lexicon.

Flue-cured

Flue-cured tobacco is bright leaf tobacco that you can find in southern states such as Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida that is heat-cured in enclosed barns. You can also find flue-cured tobacco in foreign countries such as in Brazil, Zimbabwe, India, Canada and China.
Try: Find out more information on flue-cured tobacco from the Flue-Cured Tobacco Cooperative. Their co-op includes farmers from Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.

American blend

American blends are popular for cigarettes and are made from a combination of flue-cured tobaccos, oriental and burley tobacco products.
Try: Look at the American blend from Randy's Tobacco Shop.