Between the American Snus and Swedish Snus? I mean, I know that the Swedish Snus generally have more nicotine. I use the Camel Frost alot, and just picked up the Camel Winterchill. I like the Frost...but don't really like the Winterchill, due to the really large size of the portion. I feel like I have a massive piece of cotton under my lip. LOL. Is it just the flavors are different? I'm assuming you get more of the tobacco taste in the Swedish. I'll probably get laughed at for admitting I like the Frost...but hey, I haven't had any Swedish yet to compare to.
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Where do you live resnor? Pick up some General snus at a local shop if you can, and just try it. No expectations or assumptions. That's how I came to Swedish Snus. I have never tried American Snus but I know enough about it to know I don't need to as long as I can get real snus. How hypocritical am I to tell you to try Swedish snus with no assumptions after saying that I refuse to try American snus based on my expectations of it? lol. Better yet, go to Northerner and get the sample box that they reintroduced, or so I hear. That is the best way to get a variety without going through the trouble of guessing what you might like. -
Snus. For many people, this world is a completely new concept, but for people in Sweden and a few people in the United States, this word is associated with an oral tobacco product with a rich, 200+ year history. Though this product is being toted as "new" and "revolutionary" in the United States, it's important to understand that this isn't a new product, rather it's one the Swedish have made and perfect with a true labor of love over the past 200 years to it's current form of TRUE Swedish Snus. It's important to understand there are differences between the US "snus" variety and REAL Swedish Snus. Lately, I've seen A LOT of searches leading people here with terms about Camel "snus" and Marlboro "snus", and the varying flavors - Robust, Winterchill, Frost, Mellow, Peppermint, Rich, Mild, Spearmint - but it is my hope that those searching for more info about snus will find this article and learn that there is a big difference between Swedish Snus and American "snus", and that American "snus" is NOT REAL snus, nor is it revolutionary, but more of a cheap knock off of the rich history and quality of Swedish Snus.
A little background on snus. In the 16th century snuff, which was a form of pulverized tobacco, was introduced to France. The story goes on to tell us that Jean Nicot, working for the French court, gave it to Catherine de' Medici for a headache. The more she used this, it become more popular among the monarchs and well to-do citizens. This snuff (which was inhaled), spread to Sweden in the 17th century. Later on around the 19th century, the Swedish began to develop moist snuff (which was an ORAL tobacco product used in the upper lip) and became known as snus. This is the earliest history of snus, and shows the rich history of snus, and the years that have gone into it's development to make it the refined product we know today!
Now, just what is it that makes Swedish Snus SO different from American "snus"? One of the biggest is the fact that Swedish Snus is mandated as a food product (the "Swedish Food Act") by the FDA and produced via pasteurization to the point that it is virtually free of any TSNA/Carcinogen, and held to the same standards that a food product are held to. As of the date of this writing, the American FDA has imposed no production standards or mandates on American "snus", which shows that it isn't produced with the same safety or quality standards that Swedish Snus is made with. There is no standardized production method when it comes to American "snus". What's in it? Well, when it comes to Swedish Snus, it's printed RIGHT ON THE LABEL! That's reassuring, nothing to hide. They want you to know EXACTLY what you're putting in your mouth. In Camel "snus" or Marlboro "snus", we just don't know. It's not printed on the can, and they don't make it public everything that goes into their "snus".
What else is a big difference? The taste! Swedish Snus products have a very high focus on taste. Many products have subtle flavors (fig, elderberries, lingonberries, mint, vanilla, pomegranate, etc) and these flavors mature with time, you don't get them all up front as you do with the sweetness of an American "snus". Snus is mixed with salt (amongst other things) which enhance the subtle flavors mixed with the tobacco. American "snus" (Camel "SNUS" specifically) uses sugar and sweetness, which is all you taste when using this product. You do not get the tobacco, or subtle flavors that go into making Swedish Snus. The flavors of Swedish Snus last much longer, sometimes up to 1.5-2 hours! With American "snus", your peak "enjoyment" period will last up to 30 minutes, but after that the flavor of snus is almost unbearable. American "snus" just doesn't seem to focus on taste like the Swedish Snus variety.
Moisture is another very important factor that goes along with snus. Marlboro Snus has between 11%-12% moisture, while Camel "SNUS" has 33%, and Swedish is between 50%-55% (from reported sources). The moisture makes a big difference in the quality of the snus, and the comfort you feel with a portion in your mouth. As you can tell from the picture, I did a comparison of Marlboro "snus" and General White Portion to show you just how much dryer American "snus" is than Swedish Snus. It looks just like the dried tobacco from a cigarette! That is not quality, folks. That's laziness. A more moist portion is going to yield the most comfort and flavor, and the lack of attention to this detail by American "snus" is one factor that truly makes it subpar when compared to the REAL deal, Swedish Snus.
What about the nicotine content, portion size, and value? I was hoping you'd ask! With American "snus" the nicotine content is relatively low, and since the flavors are sweet with a weak flavor and a small portion size they do not last very long. What does this mean? You have to use more snus, because it will only last a short period of time. The nicotine content of each is listed as 7.61mg for Rich, 6.33mg for Mild, 6.45mg for Peppermint, and 6.45 for Spearmint. Camel "SNUS" (American) is listed as having 8mg. The average size of American "snus" is around 0.5 grams. When it comes to Swedish Snus, it's the difference between night and day. The nicotine content in Swedish Snus can vary between 5 mg of nicotine up to 19 (estimated) mg of nicotine in the strongest snus on the market. The flavors are greatly enhanced due to production standards and flavoring mix, and will last a lot longer. Swedish Snus will last much longer, compared to the 30 minutes American "snus" will last, Swedish Snus can last up to 2 hours, meaning you can use less of it, and still obtain more nicotine. Swedish Snus usually has about 1 gram per portion, which is TWICE the size of the inferior American product. About 4 American "snus" portions to go 2 hours, or just one Swedish Snus portion. What about value? Well, as noted in my my previous article about Marlboro "snus", a can of Swedish Snus with 24 portions retails for 3.65 (for this particular can I randomly selected), Marlboro "snus" retails for 2.81 with 6 portions in a can. Do the math. Marlboro "snus" is roughly $0.47 per portion, while Swedish Snus is $0.15 per portion, which I assure you is worth quite more than that, while I consider Marlboro "snus" for $0.47 to be outrageous. I don't know about you, but those numbers speak for themself!
Another thing that Swedish Snus has that the American "snus"makers have overlooked is the catch lid. This may seem like such a small feature, but it's attention to detail like this that shows the mindfulness of the Swedish Snusmakers to public sanitation. This is a really good feature in the Swedish Snus cans, because if you're ever in a place that you can't discard your snus, you can just put your used portion right in the top until you can get somewhere to discard it. This prevents people from throwing spent snus portions on the ground or all over the place. This is a great feature to be included that the American "snus" cans have left out.
In the end, when looking over all things - price, flavor, value, quality, safety, production standards, strength, duration and history - it's clear when all the facts are presenting that American "snus" is not new or revolutionary, and is not even a quality product when compared to the superior Swedish Snus with the rich history and quality that it has. It's been said so many different ways - but the comparisons remain. It's like a Waffle House steak vs a 5 Star Restaurant steak. It's like a fine bordeaux vs a bottle of Boone's Farm. It's like a cheap White Owl cigar vs a superior Cuban cigar, such as Romeo Y Julieta. The differences speak for themselves, and in the end it is Swedish Snus that comes out on top. Do not be fooled by knockoff American "snus" products that attempt to bastardize real Swedish Snus. It's important to know there is a difference, and the difference is big.Comment
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Welcome to SnusOn. There's no shame in liking Camel Frost if you haven't tried the real thing. I liked it when I first found snus. I suggest your first real snus to be Offroad Frosted. Thunder Frosted if you want a HUGE nic hit.Comment
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I wish they had the sample pack at Northerner when I started!Comment
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Thanks for the insight!Comment
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Chad you pretty much covered it all dude! resnor, welcome to SnusOn!Comment
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