This is a world-wide known
variety which grows in the centre of the Black Sea region, especially on the rolling hills
and gently sloping fields around the Samsun district.
The leaves of this variety
are small sized, narrow winged and ovate. Their texture is very thin and elastic and the
veins are so fine that they are practically invisible. The face of the leaf is slightly
wavy and the colour is bright from light red to red. Maden tobacco has all the properties
of high quality tobacco as well as a mild, sweet and homogeneous taste, and a special
pleasant aroma. The tobaccos give a mild, sweet and exquisite taste to the blends in which
they are used. It is out of question to prepare a high quality Turkish type blend without
adding Maden tobacco. When smoked by itself they have a sweet and satisfying taste as
well. The special aroma is present white the tobacco is still in leaf shape and also when
cut.
While the Maden tobaccos
contain a very small percentage of nicotine (less than 1 % in average) they have a high
sugar content. They also have a high combustibility and filling capacity. The farmer who
in this region is only handling tobacco, gives his utmost care solely to the production of
this variety and this resulted in the protection of high quality tobacco.
Tobaccos grown at Evkaf and
Vezirköprü-Havza districts resemble in type and quality the Maden variety.
The solls of the regions
where this variety grows, consist of fine, olive coloured sands. Interspersed with stones,
schistous and calcerous in nature. The top soil is shallow, 8-15 cm. greenish brown or
brown coloured, varying between, loamy sands and loams, granular and with a neutral-alkali
reaction.
The climatic conditions
during the growing season of the tobacco are as follows: average temperature 21,6º C,
total rainfall 172,6º C, and relative humidity 74 %.
The farmers stack their tobaccos in the
"dizi" method, the weight of each bale varying between 15-20 kgs. When they are
re-baled after processing into tongas for commercial purposes, each of them weigh 20 - 25
kgs.