History of Cigarette Kretek – Part I

No doubt, “Kretek” cigarette dominate the cigarette market in Indonesia at staggering 90% share. This kretek cigarette is a genuine Indonesian invention and Indonesian has been smoking it for more than 100 years.  It will be interesting  to know the history of this humble Kretek and its development trough out the year till become one of the Indonesia Icon.

Pre-Kretek History

It all started when in 1490’s Columbus discover America continent and reporting back to europe that the ingeniuos people are smoking “leave”. Cut the story short, the colonial (dutch) brought tobacco to Indonesia and plant it here,  it strive and Indonesian start to smoke it too.  At this time Cigarette is mostly handrolled, if there is no paper to roll the tobacco, Klobot (corn husk) will do.

The very well known legend related to cigarette is Roro Mendut , a very hot and sexy lady who live in the 17th century in Mataram Kingdom who refuse to married a very powerful man (Wiroguno), instead she chose the humble Pronocitro her sweet heart.

Wiroguno finally applied a very high tax to her (although she did not have any income) in hope that she can not pay the tax and marry him instead. Knowing that she is hot and beautiful, the defiant Roro mendut sell cigarette that been rolled and use her saliva as the glue to the highest bidder. Although she paid tax, she finally  died together with her love life pronocitro just like Romeo and juliet.

What so mild about “mild cigarette”

cigarette

Before, I always think that Mild Cigarette (which advertised as low tar and low nicotine cigarette) is made of special (or specially processed) tobacco to reduce the tar and nicotine content. Actually that is not the case, they made from the same tobacco (may be less but the same) as regular / full flavor cigarette.

To reduce the Tar or Nicotine, the cigarette manufacturer add some kind of vent somewhere in the filter, so when you pulls  a cigarette, the vent will  also draw in air  from outside, so in result you draw less smoke and less tar or nicotine. This also explain that Mild cigarette is “easier / lighter to draw”.

So if you switch from regular / full flavor cigarette to mild cigarette, you probably  feel that it will be too light for you and you may suck in deeper than usual. This will be more dangerous than smoking regular cigarette because the smoke (and tar and Nicotine and other things although smaller in quantity) will go deeper into your lungs.

You also get similar tar and nicotine as regular cigarette if you “close” the vent by your finger. so if you want to reduce Tar and Nicotine by switching to Mild cigarette, don’t hold cigarette too strong and and don’t draw too deep.