History of Tobacco Production

Tobacco is one of the oldest cultivated plants.

It is believed that the American Indians cultivated tobacco as early as 3,000 years before the discovery of Americas. The homeland of most varieties of tobacco is South American countries: Bolivia, Peru, Chile, Argentina, and Brazil. In ancient civilizations tobacco was regarded as having magical and healing properties.

The name of the plant ‘tobacco’ comes either from the name of the island of Tobago, or from ‘tobagos’, the word the Indians used to call large rolled leaves for ritual smoking. Smoking was introduced to Europeans in 1492. The first distributors of tobacco were merchants, sailors, and monks.

Originally, tobacco was introduced to Spain and Portugal and cultivated in gardens as an ornamental plant. It gradually spread throughout Europe. The popularity of tobacco in Europe was promoted by Jean Nicot de Villemain (15301600), French ambassador to the Portuguese court . In Portugal, he learned about tobacco, became interested in it, and experimented with this plant.

After he returned to France, Jean Nicot de Villemain presented the tobacco plant to Catherine de’ Medici, Dowager Queen of France, as a remedy to relieve migraines. At the time, tobacco was widely used as medicine. Around the time, snuff tobacco became popular; smoking came later on. The active substance of tobacco was named ‘nicotine’ after the French diplomat, and the genus Nicotiana was included in plant taxonomy.

Tobacco is one of the oldest cultivated plants.

It is believed that the American Indians cultivated tobacco as early as 3,000 years before the discovery of Americas. The homeland of most varieties of tobacco is South American countries: Bolivia, Peru, Chile, Argentina, and Brazil. In ancient civilizations tobacco was regarded as having magical and healing properties.

The name of the plant ‘tobacco’ comes either from the name of the island of Tobago, or from ‘tobagos’, the word the Indians used to call large rolled leaves for ritual smoking. Smoking was introduced to Europeans in 1492. The first distributors of tobacco were merchants, sailors, and monks.

Originally, tobacco was introduced to Spain and Portugal and cultivated in gardens as an ornamental plant. It gradually spread throughout Europe. The popularity of tobacco in Europe was promoted by Jean Nicot de Villemain (15301600), French ambassador to the Portuguese court . In Portugal, he learned about tobacco, became interested in it, and experimented with this plant.

After he returned to France, Jean Nicot de Villemain presented the tobacco plant to Catherine de’ Medici, Dowager Queen of France, as a remedy to relieve migraines. At the time, tobacco was widely used as medicine. Around the time, snuff tobacco became popular; smoking came later on. The active substance of tobacco was named ‘nicotine’ after the French diplomat, and the genus Nicotiana was included in plant taxonomy.