Complex technological profiling of market dominating Oriental tobaccos from Krumovgrad region (Bulgaria)

Abstract

The production of Oriental tobacco in Bulgaria in the last years has focused on varieties and ecotypes that are internationally marketable. The transformations in the tobacco sector and the established market trends substantiate the systematic, scientifically sound investigation of the technological quality of the Oriental tobacco leaf material, produced in Bulgaria. Therefore, the objective of this study was the comparative, chemical and technological, assessment of export-oriented Oriental tobaccos from Krumovgrad region. The objects of investigation were tobaccos from ecotype Krumovgrad (variety “Krumovgrad 90”), ecotype Katerini (variety “Katerini”) and ecotype Greek Basma (variety “Basma”); all from 2017 crop year, produced in four micro regions. The tobacco varieties were successively assessed in terms of leaf and smoke chemical composition, expert and smoking quality; the final complex rating was based on a formulated “quality index”. The comparative analysis, chemical and technological, of the market-dominating Oriental tobaccos from Krumovgrad region revealed that the Greek varieties “Basma” and “Katerini” were distinguished by a specific quality formation, compared with the traditional Bulgarian variety “Krumovgrad 90”. Differences were observed on a sub region and micro region basis. The complex evaluation of the tobaccos, based on chemical indices, expert and smoking assessment, spoke in favor of the Greek varieties.