Tabaco de Moi, Arapiraca corda and Sabia corda are the most powerful Tabacos used in the production of Rapé. Tabaco de Moi is mild and sweet and has a very special flavour resembling chocolate. Arapiraca is deeply aromatic and has a distinct smell of dark Tabaco, and the Sabia is simply packed with power and aroma. Peruvian Mapacho is commonly not used in Brazilian Rapé production, yet it is very suitable for it. It has its own very special flavour and rich aroma. All four varieties are also used for chewing and to make Tabaco juice, and it is also reported to be used like "snus", by placing a small pea size section between the lip and the gums.

To transform fresh and juicy Tabaco into fine powder, the first process is simple. Cut the desired weight of Tabaco from the roll in very thin slices using a large and sharp knife, cross section wise. The thinner the slices, the easier it will dry. Then loosen up the compressed leaves until you get long thin fibers of leaf. Cut that into small chips. Allow the chips to dry on a sheet of paper, in the sun or on a warm spot. It is also possible to actively dry it on a stove in a large pan, yet keep the temperature very moderate. You don't want to cause it to boil or burn and give off smoke. If the aroma that comes off is very strong, lower the temperature. The aroma can be very pungent to the lungs and eyes and can sedate you when exposed to it. When fully dry and crispy to the touch, place it in an airtight container. Preferably add a desiccant (drying bag) to allow the thicker fibers to dry out completely. Storing it while not fully dried may cause mould. The next process is grinding the leaf chips into a very fine powder, using a mortar and pestle or a dry blender.

The last process is sieving the powder through a fine sieve, preferably one with 100 mesh, or 150 micron aperture. Grinding and sieving is efficient only when the material is crisp dry. When the material doesn't fully pass the sieve, allow it to dry more and repeat the grinding process. The resulted fine powder is ready to use on its own, or mixed with plant ashes. Commonly a ratio of 1:1 Tabaco and plant ashes is a good start.

Store the powder in airtight containers preferably with a desiccant. Tabaco powder and Rapé absorb humidity from the air very easily, which downgrades the quality and effectiveness.

Dessiccants, storage containers, sieves and plant ashes are available in our shop.

Desiccants:


150 micron sieve: