How Are Clove Cigarettes Made?

Cloves give off a strong, distinctive smell.

Clove cigarettes, otherwise known as kreteks, are made by blending cloves and tobacco. This mixture is rolled up in paper with a filter tip. Clove cigarettes, from a design sense, look a lot like tobacco cigarettes.

Export Issues

Clove cigarettes are a cultural phenomenon that originated in Indonesia, where they are still popular. Indonesia is also the cigarettes' largest exporter. However, recent legislation in the United States has outlawed their sale, and companies are currently trying exploit a loophole by offering cloves as filter-tipped cigars.

Agricultural Preparation

The clove part of the cigarette grows on a clove tree, specifically in unopened flower buds. Once picked, the buds must be dried out. Traditionally, Indonesian clove growers would lay the buds in the sun before mixing it with dried tobacco.

Rolling

Once dried, tobacco and clove alike are brought to a factory, where they are fed into machines that cut and shred both. Once mixed in the right proportions, they are rolled. Traditionally, kreteks are handmade in Indonesia by people using wooden rollers. Finally, kreteks are packed into boxes, which, in turn, are packed into cartons and shipped.

References

• American Spectator: Clove Cigarettes
• Sale Cheap Cigarettes: Indonesian Kretek History

Resources

• Western Journal of Medicine: Clove Cigarettes