Tobacco is a tall, herbaceous plant the leaves of which are harvested, cured, and rolled into cigars, shredded for use in cigarettes and pipes, and processed for chewing or snuff. Tobacco is an important crop in almost all tropical countries as well as in many temperate ones. The main source of commercial tobacco is Nicotiana tabacum, although Nicotiana rustica is also grown and is used in oriental tobaccos. Growers have developed a wide range of morphologically different types, from the small-leaved aromatic tobaccos to the large, broad-leaved cigar tobaccos. The most practical means of classifying them is by the method used for curing or drying the leaf.
History - Cultivation - Aging - Curing - US Tobacco Industry