The tobacco used in smoking tobacco products contains a selection of different types of tobacco from different countries.
The following six tobacco types are mostly used in smoking tobacco products:

• Virginia
  This tobacco is also called "bright tobacco" because of its yellow to orange colour, achieved during the flue-curing process. This tobacco is predominantly grown in the United States, Brazil, Argentina, India, China and France.
  
  
• Burley
  The colour of this tobacco is a bit greener than Virginia, turning brown as a result of the natural ventilation during the air-curing process. The best quality Burley tobacco is grown in the United States, Central America, Malawi, Uganda and Indonesia.
  
  
• Kentucky
  The fire-curing process of this tobacco results in a dark colour and smoky aroma. Kentucky tobacco is mainly grown in the United States, Canada, Mozambique, Tanzania, Poland, Italy and Indonesia.
  
  
• Oriental
  This tobacco has an aromatic flavour, enhanced by sun-curing. Oriental tobacco is grown in the Balkans, Turkey and the Middle East.
  
  
• Latakia
  This tobacco is grown mainly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus. This sun-cured Oriental tobacco is smoked in small sheds after the harvest, resulting in a distinctive, spicy and smoky aroma suitable for pipe tobaccos.
  
  
• Perique
  The air-curing process of this tobacco results in a blue-black colour. It is used to give exclusive pipe tobacco mixtures a more refined taste.
  

After the harvest, the tobacco is cured. This can be done in different ways:

• Air-cured
  The tobacco is hung in open barns in order to dry.
  
  
• Sun-cured
  The tobacco is hung out in the sun to cure.
  
  
• Flue-cured
  The tobacco is hung in a closed barn, in which pipes are installed through which hot air is blown.
  
  
• Fire-cured
  The tobacco is hung in a barn and is cured by a smouldering fire.

After they have been cured, the leaves are graded according to length, thickness, imperfections and colour. They are then packed in bales and transported to auctions or directly sold to traders or representatives of companies. Usually the tobacco is repacked in cardboard boxes before it is transported to the tobacco warehouse and eventually the factory.

The selection process of the tobacco is of great importance in order to maintain a constant level of quality, which is difficult to guarantee by tobacco growers since the tobacco is influenced by climate, time of harvest and curing process. The blenders form an important link between the tobacco growing and the actual production process since they are the people in the factory who determine what varieties and proportions of tobacco are to be processed to form a blend. The blenders combine the tobacco leaves to produce a consistent taste and quality. One tobacco blend can contain up to 20 types and grades of tobacco.

In preparation for production, the tobacco is treated with steam. The steam permeates the leaves, which makes the tobacco supple and ready for further conditioning and blending.
The blended tobacco is then temporarily stored in a conditioned area where moisture can completely permeate the leaves for a period of time. Following the interim storage, the tobacco leaves are stretched by laying them parallel on belts that transport the tobacco to the cutting bench. The tobacco is pressed together on the cutting bench and cut crosswise to the length.
The cut width depends on the type of end product. The cut, moistened tobacco blend is dried again in a heated, rotating drum until it obtains the required level of moistness. Subsequently, the tobacco is air-cooled. After cooling, flavours are added to some blends, depending on the end product.
Before being packed, the tobacco is stored for a while in an air-conditioned room so that the various tobacco components can blend well.

Contrary to fine-cut tobacco, several types of pipe tobaccos are pressed before they are cut. The used leaves are stripped (e.g. the veins are removed from the leaves), resulting in shorter tobacco strands than those for fine-cut tobacco. The pressing process takes places after the blending. The fermentation during the pressing process gives this pipe tobacco its characteristic identity.