Dipping tobacco (also known as chew, dip, or moist snuff) is a form of smokeless tobacco which is fire cured. Dip comes in a variety of grinds ranging from very fine to coarse. Generally, coarser dip is easier to use than more finely ground varieties. It is used by placing a pinch in the lower lip, and keeping it there between 10-30 minutes. Dip is popular in the Southern United States, but it has been increasingly gaining in popularity in other regions as an alternative to cigarette smoking. Below is a list of the most common types of dip:
- Long cut
- Long cuts are coarse, and are the easiest type of cut to keep in your mouth. They are ideal for new dippers
- Mid cuts
- This cut consists of small pieces of tobacco which are approximately 1mm cubed. Mid cuts are slightly harder to keep in the mouth than long cut varieties
- Fine cut/snuff
- This is the finest cut, and it resembles coffee grounds or granules of sand. For inexperienced dippers, fine cuts can be difficult to keep in the lower lip.
Dipping tobacco differs from snus in a few important ways. Firstly, because it is fire cured, dipping tobacco has been found to contain higher levels of tobacco specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) than snus. Secondly, dip requires the user to spit while dipping, whereas users of Swedish Snus do not encounter this problem.
A wide variety of flavors exist for dip, and it may take a while before you discover what grinds and flavors suit you best. I recommend taking a look at the various brands available on Northerner, and ordering a few varieties of long cut dip to determine what you enjoy. My favorite long cut varieties of dip include Copenhagen Straight, Skoal Wintergreen, and Kayak Grape.
