Many people have asked this simple question, "what's the difference is between Swedish snus and American dip?" To Americans, they look similar, come in similar cans and both are used orally but that’s where the similarities end! To really understand the differences, we need to start with how they both are made.

American Dip, or Smokeless, is made from tobaccos that are strictly from U.S. grown tobaccos from places like North Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky and West Virginia among others while Swedish snus uses a variety of different tobaccos from across the globe, including the U.S.!

Although both go thru a similar, initial drying process, the American version adds another step here which makes it unique. Piles of sawdust, primarily from Oak or Hickory, are lit and allowed to smolder in the barn. This generates smoke that flavors the tobacco. After that, the smoked, dried tobacco is placed in barrels and allowed to ferment for up to 5 years to develop its character. After that its cut, flavors and sweeteners are added and then it’s canned.

Swedish snus is processed much differently. Tobaccos from around the world, including the U.S. and Sweden, are chosen and bypass the smoking and fermenting. These tobaccos are mixed and stored in a cool warehouse for about 2 years before they are ground together. The grinding process resembles the flour making process that grinds the grain between steel wheels. It’s then sifted and reground until the right consistency is achieved. After that, the ground tobacco is dried and moved into a steam chamber to cure at a low temperature and then moved into flavoring vats. After that, it’s packaged and placed in a cool room for up to 2 weeks to allow the flavors to combine.

The major difference between Swedish snus and American dip is the safety factor. Swedish snus has a considerably lower amount of Tobacco Specific Nitrosamines (TSNA’s), which is a carcinogen, than American Dip. This is due to the omission of the smoking and fermentation steps that American Smokeless brands go thru and the low temperatures that Swedish snus is kept. That’s why Swedish snus is recommended to be stored in temperatures between 38 and 42 degrees Fahrenheit.