Lundgrens Förbakad

[squeezyjohn]

I finally got me a can of this new innovation in the snus world. Förbakad means pre-baked in Swedish - and it's an alternative to portions - just loose snus that you simply had to pop in your lip and away you go ... I had no idea how they could do this and what it would be like so here we go ...

On opening the can you are greeted by lots of distinct little pillow shapes of tobacco that are very firm and although slightly moist - they're not sticky! The aroma is unusual - it is like snus - but also woody and herbal and very muted.

When you put one in - it's a very unusual experience! There's no give in these things and it feels like a hard lump in your upper lip to start with - not much flavour at the outset and very very salty. I would suggest that this shape is not a perfect fit for most snusers!

Anyway - about 5 minutes in and the outside begins to soften and the flavour and nicotine begins ... it's a great rich flavour - unlike anything I've ever really had but the burn and strength is quite something! Because it is so hard - the tendency is to play with it and squash it in to submission with your lip and tongue so that it becomes like a normal lös snus ... this is a mistake! The binding agent is very strong and it behaves more like a gummy sweet and eventually it does break releasing a huge amount of very strong juice which is so strong that it is almost un-swallowable and I had to remove my portion after about 15 minutes for fear of gagging

That was my initial response ... I will try to finish the can and learn to use this stuff as it does have a pleasant taste to begin with although it is very very salty throughout the experience. As a home-snus maker I am intrigued by the technology used here as if the method was honed down it would make producing a convenient product myself much more easily than stuffing my own portions and heat sealing each and every one!

So how do they do it? ... well - there is an extra ingredient on the can listed as Förtjockningsmedel (E466) which translates as "filler" - this particular filler is Cellulose Gum (or carboxymethyl cellulose) which is a food additive derived from natural cellulose. This makes the consistency we find in this product - however used as I suspect it is intended which is to put it in your upper lip and ignored - it is so tightly bound together that it only releases a very small amount of flavour and nicotine ... which is why it is made particularly strong as I found out when I smooshed it about too much.

I think this would make a fantastic loose snus though if it were a normal strength and designed to use traditionally - I suspect I will not be buying it again in it's current form though.

[Premium Parrots]

Those sound interesting. A good idea too. Do you think they are pressed or extruded and cut to length?

Nice review squeezy, thanks

[Burnsey]

Yes, nice review squeezy.....

I'll bet extruded and clipped to length, they look very smooth.

[squeezyjohn]

I think they're extruded too ... some of them have small lines along their length suggesting so. I don't know how much pressure you'd need to do that given how tough the substance is - but it would be a lot! I don't think it would become less solid upon heating.

[chadizzy1]

I think they're extruded too ... some of them have small lines along their length suggesting so. I don't know how much pressure you'd need to do that given how tough the substance is - but it would be a lot! I don't think it would become less solid upon heating.

I did a review on these recently:
http://chadizzy1.blogspot.com/2014/0...-forbakad.html

As well as the perforated white portions, which were very interesting.

[R.B. Kazenzakis]

I do enjoy the novelty of pre-baked snus, and would be excited to see other makers try it. It feels a bit odd (like a slimy, salty hard candy), but makes an interesting hybrid between los and portions. I have only tried a couple so far, but the flavor doesn't seem to stray too far from Granit Explosive - perhaps a bit more intense on flavor (there is more herbal/aromatic action going on) and milder on nicotine.

I haven't weighed the chunks, but I suspect there is a quite a bit of snus compressed into each piece (is it a prilla if a machine makes it for you?) - 32g in the tin, but I only eyeballed somewhere around 20 pieces, and I didn't feel shortchanged on nicotine.

[Thunder_Snus]

so does it eventually break apart? Would love to have something like this for work or school but if it ends up squirting through my teeth into a big glob that i have to either swallow or go to the bathroom and spit out that could be bad.

[squeezyjohn]

The longest I could keep it in for was about an hour - but I'm quite impatient with portions too. It didn't disintegrate and could be removed whole.

I find that without playing with it at all it is a strange experience leaving me wanting more both in nicotine and flavour.

But it may be perfect for you!

[lxskllr]

Interesting. I'd try a tin if I could buy them over the counter, but it doesn't seem like something I'd like.

Regarding the perforated portions... Going on a distant memory, I thing 1st gen Skoal Bandits had a very loose weave similar to them. I didn't care for them. Seemed like cheating, and the portions would be broken. I guess the (American)tech has gotten better since the 80s though.

[Thunder_Snus]

Interesting. I'd try a tin if I could buy them over the counter, but it doesn't seem like something I'd like.

Regarding the perforated portions... Going on a distant memory, I thing 1st gen Skoal Bandits had a very loose weave similar to them. I didn't care for them. Seemed like cheating, and the portions would be broken. I guess the (American)tech has gotten better since the 80s though.

Who makes those perferated portions? They look interesting. My only worry is that since snus is so finely cut it could easily cause a lot of tobacco to slip through if it gets moist enough.

[squeezyjohn]

The perforated white ones Chad mentions are also made by Lundgrens.

[squeezyjohn]

OK - I've had these for about a week now - and I think I can add to my review now having got to know the product a bit better.

Firstly - with a little practice, this pre-baked snus can be as comfortable in the lip as a standard lös snus. This is achieved by giving it a squeeze after it has softened for a few minutes - the aim of the squeeze is to shape it to your particular upper lip and the motion is basically to give the outside of your upper lip a firm press while your tongue holds the snus in place - for me it then assumes the feel and shape of a normal pris of lös. This makes the experience a million times better than just leaving it there.

Secondly - I've been trying to analyse the taste a bit more. I'm finding the very rich tobacco much more rewarding now I have got to grips with the format. And although the flavouring is so subtle that it's tricky to pin down specific herbs and spices within the taste, I'm pretty sure that the predominant spice I'm getting from it is green cardamom. Cardamom was a taste which divided opinion during the trial of Nick & Johnny East back in the dim and distant past. I find that here, set against a much richer, meatier tobacco it sits far better and is very hard to taste at all - simply there in a supporting rôle for the tobacco.

So my new conclusion is that it is not only innovative - but it is also a class act. A really great and unique snus flavour - and now I've acquired the taste for it - I think it may have to be a snus I buy again!

[Skell18]

OK - I've had these for about a week now - and I think I can add to my review now having got to know the product a bit better.

Firstly - with a little practice, this pre-baked snus can be as comfortable in the lip as a standard lös snus. This is achieved by giving it a squeeze after it has softened for a few minutes - the aim of the squeeze is to shape it to your particular upper lip and the motion is basically to give the outside of your upper lip a firm press while your tongue holds the snus in place - for me it then assumes the feel and shape of a normal pris of lös. This makes the experience a million times better than just leaving it there.

Secondly - I've been trying to analyse the taste a bit more. I'm finding the very rich tobacco much more rewarding now I have got to grips with the format. And although the flavouring is so subtle that it's tricky to pin down specific herbs and spices within the taste, I'm pretty sure that the predominant spice I'm getting from it is green cardamom. Cardamom was a taste which divided opinion during the trial of Nick & Johnny East back in the dim and distant past. I find that here, set against a much richer, meatier tobacco it sits far better and is very hard to taste at all - simply there in a supporting rôle for the tobacco.

So my new conclusion is that it is not only innovative - but it is also a class act. A really great and unique snus flavour - and now I've acquired the taste for it - I think it may have to be a snus I buy again!

Thats what it is!! Couldn't quite put my finger on what it was. I love this snus!

[R.B. Kazenzakis]

Great call, Squeezyjohn - there is a note there that stands out relative to Granit, and I couldn't place the damn thing at all. I agree with the need to shape the stuff, too. If you don't show the binding agent who is boss, you don't get nearly as much flavor out of it. The cellulose does let you be a bit reckless in fidgeting with it, too, which a nice bonus. This one is rapidly climbing up my list of preferred traditionally-flavored snus.

[squeezyjohn]

I must say that I have no evidence for what it's actually made of ... just a bit of olfactory guesswork ... as usual. I'm sure the herbal blend is more complex - but cardamom was the only thing I could hang my coat on.