Marmara Region derives its name from Sea of Marmara, which itself is named for the Island of Marmara.
This regions strains are growing in convenient areas around the Marmara Sea. Marmara Region take place between Black Sea Region and Aegean Region, for this reason some strains close to Black Sea strains and some strains close to Aegean strains. As usual strains adopt names from cities, towns or villages where they're grown. For example; Hendek, İzmit, Balıkesir, Edirne, Bursa ve Düzce, etc. In this region Izmıt tobaccos are about to be no longer in production also Balıkesir and Thrace ( continental European side of Turkey) tobacco production decline is very anxious. It's an advantage to know this regions tobaccos for pipe, cigar and cigarette blending.
Bursa
Bursa generally has large to medium leaves, sometimes leaves may be smaller but leaf form is standart hearth shaped. Leaf texture is a little thick and elastic. Stalk form is " dar yaşmaklı " means there is narrow piece of leaf around the stalk.
Color may vary from light-red to red. Lighter colored leaves are milder. Dark-red coloured leaves have strong and satisfying taste. This strain has a specific smell like dried apricot.
For blending, Bursa is used for giving blends sweetness, strongness and efficiency (for cigarette making). It's suitable for American and German cigarette and pipe blends. It contains nicotine about 0.8 -1.2%, sugar about 10 to 14% and protein (N) about 1.3 - 1.6%.
There is one sub-strain of Bursa, named Orhanli-Keles where it's grown. Orhanlı-Keles has a little bit longer leaves than Bursa.
Bursa and Orhanli-Keles (respectively)
Duzce
Although Duzce is a big plain, tobaccos are grown in yaka and yarı yaka (half yaka) areas of eastern, northern and north western Duzce. No tobacco production on the plain.
Leaves are mostly small, wide and eliptical. Texture is fine, elastic and durable. Mid and side ribs are barely visible. Color vary from bright light yellow to light red. Duzce has a sweet taste, good aroma and fragrant also it burns slowly. Because of its fragrance it's used for making tobacco cologne.
Duzce take a good place in Turkish tobaccos. Can be used as a sweetener in cigar blends. Duzce has a nicotin content of 0.4-0.7%, sugar content about 14-17% and protein about 1.5-1.7%. Most aromatic leaves have dark spots.
Izmit
Izmit has small and partly medium sized leaves. Texture is fine and durable. Color varies from light-red to red. Red leaves are sweeter than lighter colored leaves. They a satisfying smoke and sweet taste.
Izmit gives blends fullness, sweetness and a good combustibility. This variety has a nicotine content of 0.8-1.3%, sugar content about 9-12% and protein ratio of 1.4-1.5%.
Hendek
Hendek strain was cultivated from Trabzon seeds but leaf and smoking caharacteristics differ from Trabzon, they resembles Artvin tobaccos. Hendek leaves have noticeable different caharacterictics compared with other strains. Leaves are larger and have light-red to red colored. Leaf texture is thicker. Has a strong taste and less sweet. Combustibility of these tobaccos are very good. Generally Hendek blend with with sweet-strong blends to give them a good color. Hendek has nicotione content of 1.1-1.5%, sugar content about 8-11% and protein of 1.4-1.6%. This strain can be added to Virgina blends and it's the most suitable strain for hand rolling cigarettes. Hendek is the unique strain in this area which requires irrigation.
Balikesir
Leading subvarieties of Balikesir are Agonya, Yenice and Gonen. These strains' leaves are medium and partly large sized. Stalk form is " zenepsiz kabakulak" means stalk is joint to body. Leaf texture is fine, elastic and tough; mid and side ribs are barely visible. Color may vary from yellow to red. Tastes vary from sweet-strong to strong. Gonen subvariety has smaller leaves with light red to red color. Agonya has very fine leaf texture and distinct aroma and fragrance. Balikesir varieties have nicotine content about 1.0-1.5%, sugar content is 9-13% and protein content is about 1.4-1.6%. Yenice sub-strain has same ancestors with Greek Genisea (Yenice) which is located in Xanthi (İskeçe). Within the demographic exchange with Turkey and Greece in 20s (Threaty of Lousanne) seeds were exchanged with folks too.
Gonen
Edirne
This strain are produced in Thrace. Edirne has a oval form and it's leaf color contains all reddish hues. Leaves are oval shaped and medium sized. Stalk form is " geniş yaşmaklı kabakulak " means there are wide leaf pieces on the stalk. Leaf texture is thick and elasticity is medium. Edirne has mild to strong smoke with a high nicotine content of 1.5-2.5% (highest nicotine content after Trabzon). This strain has a spicy aroma. Edirne gives blends strongness. It's suitable for hand rolling tobacco blends. Sugar content is about
8-13% and protein content is about 1.4-1.6%. Edirne tobaccos are look like Balıkesir by their plant appearance, actually there are a lot of differences between Edirne and Balıkesir. In this region winters are cold and summers are dry and hot, these weather conditions limits the size of the plants and also leaves.
For a better understanding of this regions tobaccos, I prepared a map of tobacco growing areas in Marmara Region below.
You can see the meerschaum mines in Eskişehir where world's best pipes are made e.g. Altinok pipes.
Eskişehir is locating in the Central Anatolian Region where has very limited almost no tobacco production.
Different colors represents different strains.
Edit: For a larger view of the map open it from the attachments.
This regions strains are growing in convenient areas around the Marmara Sea. Marmara Region take place between Black Sea Region and Aegean Region, for this reason some strains close to Black Sea strains and some strains close to Aegean strains. As usual strains adopt names from cities, towns or villages where they're grown. For example; Hendek, İzmit, Balıkesir, Edirne, Bursa ve Düzce, etc. In this region Izmıt tobaccos are about to be no longer in production also Balıkesir and Thrace ( continental European side of Turkey) tobacco production decline is very anxious. It's an advantage to know this regions tobaccos for pipe, cigar and cigarette blending.
Bursa
Bursa generally has large to medium leaves, sometimes leaves may be smaller but leaf form is standart hearth shaped. Leaf texture is a little thick and elastic. Stalk form is " dar yaşmaklı " means there is narrow piece of leaf around the stalk.
Color may vary from light-red to red. Lighter colored leaves are milder. Dark-red coloured leaves have strong and satisfying taste. This strain has a specific smell like dried apricot.
For blending, Bursa is used for giving blends sweetness, strongness and efficiency (for cigarette making). It's suitable for American and German cigarette and pipe blends. It contains nicotine about 0.8 -1.2%, sugar about 10 to 14% and protein (N) about 1.3 - 1.6%.
There is one sub-strain of Bursa, named Orhanli-Keles where it's grown. Orhanlı-Keles has a little bit longer leaves than Bursa.
Bursa and Orhanli-Keles (respectively)
Duzce
Although Duzce is a big plain, tobaccos are grown in yaka and yarı yaka (half yaka) areas of eastern, northern and north western Duzce. No tobacco production on the plain.
Leaves are mostly small, wide and eliptical. Texture is fine, elastic and durable. Mid and side ribs are barely visible. Color vary from bright light yellow to light red. Duzce has a sweet taste, good aroma and fragrant also it burns slowly. Because of its fragrance it's used for making tobacco cologne.
Duzce take a good place in Turkish tobaccos. Can be used as a sweetener in cigar blends. Duzce has a nicotin content of 0.4-0.7%, sugar content about 14-17% and protein about 1.5-1.7%. Most aromatic leaves have dark spots.
Izmit
Izmit has small and partly medium sized leaves. Texture is fine and durable. Color varies from light-red to red. Red leaves are sweeter than lighter colored leaves. They a satisfying smoke and sweet taste.
Izmit gives blends fullness, sweetness and a good combustibility. This variety has a nicotine content of 0.8-1.3%, sugar content about 9-12% and protein ratio of 1.4-1.5%.
Hendek
Hendek strain was cultivated from Trabzon seeds but leaf and smoking caharacteristics differ from Trabzon, they resembles Artvin tobaccos. Hendek leaves have noticeable different caharacterictics compared with other strains. Leaves are larger and have light-red to red colored. Leaf texture is thicker. Has a strong taste and less sweet. Combustibility of these tobaccos are very good. Generally Hendek blend with with sweet-strong blends to give them a good color. Hendek has nicotione content of 1.1-1.5%, sugar content about 8-11% and protein of 1.4-1.6%. This strain can be added to Virgina blends and it's the most suitable strain for hand rolling cigarettes. Hendek is the unique strain in this area which requires irrigation.
Balikesir
Leading subvarieties of Balikesir are Agonya, Yenice and Gonen. These strains' leaves are medium and partly large sized. Stalk form is " zenepsiz kabakulak" means stalk is joint to body. Leaf texture is fine, elastic and tough; mid and side ribs are barely visible. Color may vary from yellow to red. Tastes vary from sweet-strong to strong. Gonen subvariety has smaller leaves with light red to red color. Agonya has very fine leaf texture and distinct aroma and fragrance. Balikesir varieties have nicotine content about 1.0-1.5%, sugar content is 9-13% and protein content is about 1.4-1.6%. Yenice sub-strain has same ancestors with Greek Genisea (Yenice) which is located in Xanthi (İskeçe). Within the demographic exchange with Turkey and Greece in 20s (Threaty of Lousanne) seeds were exchanged with folks too.
Gonen
Edirne
This strain are produced in Thrace. Edirne has a oval form and it's leaf color contains all reddish hues. Leaves are oval shaped and medium sized. Stalk form is " geniş yaşmaklı kabakulak " means there are wide leaf pieces on the stalk. Leaf texture is thick and elasticity is medium. Edirne has mild to strong smoke with a high nicotine content of 1.5-2.5% (highest nicotine content after Trabzon). This strain has a spicy aroma. Edirne gives blends strongness. It's suitable for hand rolling tobacco blends. Sugar content is about
8-13% and protein content is about 1.4-1.6%. Edirne tobaccos are look like Balıkesir by their plant appearance, actually there are a lot of differences between Edirne and Balıkesir. In this region winters are cold and summers are dry and hot, these weather conditions limits the size of the plants and also leaves.
For a better understanding of this regions tobaccos, I prepared a map of tobacco growing areas in Marmara Region below.
You can see the meerschaum mines in Eskişehir where world's best pipes are made e.g. Altinok pipes.
Eskişehir is locating in the Central Anatolian Region where has very limited almost no tobacco production.
Different colors represents different strains.
Edit: For a larger view of the map open it from the attachments.
