Tabaco Arapiraca is from the Nicotiana Rustica strain. This Tabaco has its name from the region it comes from. Arapiraca is a city in the northeast of Brazil in the state of Alagoas. The region around the city of Arapiraca always cultivated cereals and cassava. But this started to change slowly when Tabaco started to be cultivated. After the first planting of Tabaco at the end of the nineteenth century, it took another 50 years before a healthy and lively Tabaco growing culture had settled in Arapiraca. Now the town has the nickname "The Brazilian Tabaco Capital".

The production of rope Tabaco is hands-on craftsmanship. The rolling of the Tabaco leaves into ropes is still a craft and requires experience and skill. After harvesting the leaves, they are sorted according to quality and placed on drying racks in the shade. After days of drying, the leaves are ready for the next phase. The first step is the removing of the central leaf grain from the partly dried leaves. Then follows the interlacing and twisting of the split leaves that gives the tabaco its rope shape. After establishing the desired dryness, the newly formed Tabaco ropes are being left to ripen on vertical racks. An entire roll weighs up to 80 kilos. After this process it sits on the racks to mature. There the slow fermentation process creates more flavour and delivers the final dark brown appearance of rope Tabaco.

Image: Arapiraca corda, 40 kilo rolled up

Scientific name: Nicotiana Rustica
Part used: Leaves
Region of origin: Arapiraca, Sergipe state
Agro toxics: Non used
Method of processing: Leaves are dried, fermented and then rolled into rope mass and cured.
Colour: Brown
Odour: Tabaco
Taste: Tabaco
Uses: Alcoholic tinctures, natural agriculture, apiculture

Upon receiving the product, you can keep it in the vacuum state for many months in the fridge. When opened, unpack the section and store it in paper wrapping out of the sun. When the outside becomes brittle over time you can simply spray the outside with distilled water, thereby the material will slowly absorb the water and the outside layer will become fresh again. Pack the humidified Tabaco in a plastic bag for a day or two, maximum. Then it needs to be wrapped in dry paper again.

Note: This can not be stored in a (non vacuum) plastic bag, as this may cause to form mold. Store it in paper instead, below room temperature.

See here how to make powder from raw Tabaco.

See here how to blend your own Rapé.

Other names: Arapiraca rope, Tabaco de Corda, Nicotiana rustica logs

All South American shamans have an intimate relationship with Tabaco, and consider it a very sacred, wholesome plant that is deeply entrenched in their culture and rites. Tabaco consumed in high amounts has strong psychedelic and hallucinogenic effects, as it contains two alkaloids, harman and norharman, which are closely related to harmine and harmaline (Janiger et al. 1973). These two beta-carbolines inhibit monoamine oxidase (Herraiz et al. 2005), leading to antidepressive and uplifting effects (Farzin 2006).

​In addition to Ayahuasca rituals that are combined with Tabaco snuffs, there are even shamans that specialized in Tabaco healing, called tobaqueros (Jauregui et al. 2011). When used in shamanic rituals, Tabaco is assumed to protect, cleanse and re-align energies, thereby bringing profound clarity and healing (Jauregui et al. 2011). Furthermore, South American shamans, commonly use Tabaco smoke to blow it over the person to be healed with the intention to bring their energies into equilibrium and clean out all negativity and anxiety (i.e. ‘sopladas’ – the healing energy of blowing) (Jauregui et al. 2011). Thus, Tabaco in the shamanistic culture has a potent function of cleansing, bringing clarity and focus, and for allowing strong visualizations. 

Nicotiana Rustica is extremely potent, containing up to 20 times higher levels of nicotine than the usual Tabaco, Nicotiana Tabacum (Stanfill et al. 2010). Therefore, this shamanic tool is extremely powerful and can provide an intense journey of cleansing and energetic shift. Through this highly activating Tabaco, one might feel a strong aiming of the mind, and intense clarity and focus.

Brazilian "Arapiraca" corda is juicy and fresh when arrived in our stock. We cut them into the desired sections and immediately vacuum seal them. This way they will retain their freshness and humidity content for a very long time.

The seeds of this special kind of Tabaco have been passed down from father to son over generations and it belongs to the widely known species of Nicotiana Rustica. Yet there is no commonly known name attached to it, but it could be compared to Mapacho, for it looks very similar in consistency. Slightly looser wrapped and less dense but even more juicy and aromatic.

The "Arapiraca“ corda is of similar diameter as the Mapacho Masos (approximately 6-7 cm diameter) and also it is much more juicy in its structure. The leaves appear to be a bit darker as well as they have been put through the process of fermentation.

Arapiraca has been organically grown in the jungles of Brazil. Chemicals are not necessary as Tabaco itself is a great fertiliser and commonly used insecticide among the farming communities.

This massive form of Arapiraca is made according to an old traditional recipe and contains a solid but juicy jungle Tabaco. They are fresh and humid. They were vacuum-sealed when we received them, to keep them fresh and preserved during storage and transport. Upon receiving the product, you can keep it in the vacuum state for many months in the fridge. When opened, unpack the section and store it in paper wrapping out of the sun. When the outside becomes brittle over time you can simply spray the outside with distilled water, thereby the material will slowly absorb the water and the outside layer will become fresh again. Pack the humidified Tabaco in a plastic bag for a day or two, maximum. Then it needs to be wrapped in dry paper again.

Note: This can not be stored in a (non vacuum) plastic bag, as this may cause to form mold. Store it in paper instead, below room temperature.

See here how to make powder from raw Tabaco.

See here how to blend your own Rapé.

This item is not allowed in the following countries:

Australia