A treatment method for improving the quality of upper tobacco

Abstract

This application discloses a method for improving the smoking quality of upper tobacco leaves, belonging to the field of tobacco production technology. The tobacco leaf processing method provided in this application involves placing spices and tobacco leaves in a curing barn and using gradient heating for curing. The gradient heating includes at least five levels, and the highest temperature during the gradient heating process does not exceed 110°C. This method can improve the adhesion of spices to the tobacco leaves, thereby increasing the persistence of the aroma in the tobacco leaves and improving the user's smoking experience. Furthermore, before curing, fermentation treatment with enzyme reagents is used to reduce the cellulose and sugars in the tobacco leaves, improving the smoking quality. Soaking the tobacco leaves in a salt solution before curing softens the leaves and increases their curl during curing, further enhancing the adhesion of spices.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to a method for improving the smoking quality of upper tobacco leaves, and belongs to the field of tobacco production. Background Technology

[0002] With consumers paying more attention to health, the production of low-harm cigarettes has become a hot area in the tobacco industry. This often involves reducing tar and harm during the tobacco processing. However, while reducing harmful substances like nicotine and tar, a significant amount of aroma compounds are also reduced, leading to a poorer taste and a decreased smoking experience for users. Therefore, finding a way to reduce tar and harm while still maintaining the aroma and smoking experience of cigarettes is a crucial research direction.

[0003] The existing technologies for solving the above problems mainly focus on two major research directions: one is to improve the tobacco processing, generating aromatic components through the decomposition or reaction of the tobacco's own components, and minimizing the loss of aromatic components during the tar reduction and harm reduction steps; the other is to enhance the aroma of tobacco by adding other aromatic substances through adhesion. While the method of enhancing aroma using aromatic substances has the advantages of simple operation and low cost, compared with the method of generating aromatic components through the decomposition or reaction of the components in the tobacco, the method of enhancing aroma using aromatic substances has the problem of unsustainable aroma. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a tobacco processing method that can improve the persistence of tobacco aroma enhancement. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the aforementioned issues, a method for improving the smoking quality of upper tobacco leaves is provided. This method enhances the adhesion of spices to the tobacco leaves and strengthens the persistence of aromatic components through pretreatment of the tobacco leaves and gradient heating during the roasting process, thereby significantly improving the user's smoking experience.

[0005] This application discloses a method for improving the smoking quality of upper tobacco leaves, comprising the following steps: placing spices and tobacco leaves in a curing room and curing them using gradient heating, wherein the gradient heating includes at least five levels of gradient, and the highest temperature during the gradient heating process does not exceed 110°C.

[0006] Optionally, the gradient heating includes the following steps: placing spices and tobacco leaves in the curing room, heating to a first temperature stage, maintaining a first curing time, then heating to a second temperature stage, maintaining a second curing time, then heating to a third temperature stage, maintaining a third curing time, then heating to a fourth temperature stage, maintaining a fourth curing time, then heating to a fifth temperature stage, maintaining a fifth curing time, and finally ending the gradient heating step. The curing time for each temperature stage is 5 to 30 minutes.

[0007] Optionally, the temperature of the first temperature stage is 80~100℃, the temperature of the second temperature stage is 60~80℃, the temperature of the third temperature stage is 80~100℃, the temperature of the fourth temperature stage is 100~110℃, and the temperature of the fifth temperature stage is 30~40℃.

[0008] Optionally, the first baking time is 5-15 minutes, the second baking time is 20-30 minutes, the third baking time is 5-15 minutes, the fourth baking time is 5-10 minutes, and the fifth baking time is 10-20 minutes.

[0009] Optionally, the tobacco leaves undergo a fermentation pretreatment before curing. The fermentation pretreatment includes a step of diluting an enzyme reagent with water and spraying it evenly on both sides of the tobacco leaves for fermentation. Fermentation pretreatment can improve the original composition of the tobacco leaves and increase the aroma substances in the tobacco leaves. However, it can also cause the tobacco leaves to soften and reduce the porosity between the tobacco leaves, which is not conducive to the adhesion and adsorption of spices during the later curing process.

[0010] Optionally, the enzyme reagent includes amylase and cellulase, which can effectively reduce the content of cellulose and sugars in tobacco leaves, increase the aroma substances in tobacco leaves, and improve the smoking quality and processing performance of tobacco leaves.

[0011] Optionally, the amylase is a mesophilic α-amylase.

[0012] Optionally, the spices include Gynostemma pentaphyllum and fennel, which not only have a good taste but also good tobacco adsorption properties.

[0013] Optionally, the ratio of Gynostemma pentaphyllum to fennel is 1:1.

[0014] Optionally, after the fermentation pretreatment and before the tobacco leaves are cured, the process may include a step of soaking the tobacco leaves in sodium salt. Soaking the tobacco leaves in sodium salt before drying can improve the curl of the tobacco leaves, soften the cell walls of the tobacco leaves, increase the softness and toughness of the tobacco leaves, and improve the color and quality of the tobacco leaves after drying, thus avoiding poor color or breakage of the tobacco leaves during subsequent drying processes.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this application include, but are not limited to:

[0016] 1. According to the method for improving the smoking quality of upper tobacco leaves in this application, a gradient heating baking method is adopted, in which spices and tobacco leaves are placed in the baking room for heating and baking at the same time, which can improve the adhesion effect of aromatic components in tobacco leaves, improve the persistence of aromatic components in tobacco leaves, and significantly improve the user's smoking experience.

[0017] 2. According to the method for improving the smoking quality of upper tobacco leaves in this application, the fermentation pretreatment before roasting can reduce the cellulose and sugars in the tobacco leaves, increase the softness of the tobacco leaves, and significantly increase the aromatic substances in the tobacco leaves, thereby improving the smoking quality of the tobacco leaves.

[0018] 3. According to the method for improving the smoking quality of the upper tobacco leaves in this application, the flavorings selected are Gynostemma pentaphyllum and fennel. This not only improves the user's smoking experience, increases the aroma concentration in the tobacco leaves, enhances the strength of the tobacco leaves, and reduces irritation, but also has a better tobacco adsorption effect.

[0019] 4. According to the method for improving the smoking quality of the upper tobacco leaves in this application, the tobacco leaves are soaked in sodium salt before curing. Sodium salt can soften the tobacco leaves, improve their curl and toughness, and prevent the tobacco leaves from becoming unpalatable or broken due to excessively high temperature during the curing process. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The present application is described in detail below with reference to the embodiments, but the present application is not limited to these embodiments.

[0021] Unless otherwise specified, the raw materials and catalysts used in the embodiments of this application were all purchased commercially.

[0022] Due to the need to reduce tar and harm in tobacco leaves and enhance their aroma, tobacco leaves are fermented with enzyme reagents before being roasted. External auxiliary flavorings are added during the roasting process to enhance the aroma. However, the fermented tobacco leaves are relatively fragile, and the gaps between the tobacco leaves are relatively small during the roasting process, making it difficult for the flavorings to penetrate and adhere to the tobacco leaves. Therefore, the roasting process needs to be improved.

[0023] In this scheme, the first temperature stage uses a high temperature to dehydrate the tobacco leaves. During this process, the tobacco leaves undergo significant deformation, and their absolute thickness decreases due to water loss. However, due to the deformation, their overall thickness increases, creating larger pore spaces between the tobacco leaves. During the curing process, spices can easily penetrate and adhere to them. The second temperature stage slightly lowers the temperature, which helps to fix the shape of the tobacco leaves, preventing excessive deformation that could lead to leaf breakage and poor color due to excessively high temperatures. The third temperature stage restores high-temperature curing. At this point, the tobacco leaves are basically shaped with minimal deformation. Maintaining a high curing temperature allows the spices to be fully distributed in the curing barn. The fourth temperature stage is the highest, where the spices have the strongest penetration ability, allowing them to fully contact and combine with the tobacco leaves. The fifth temperature stage involves cooling, which allows the spices to quickly and stably bind to the tobacco leaves, resulting in a high amount and stability of spice binding.

[0024] To enhance the integration of spices with tobacco leaves and ensure the longevity of the tobacco product's aroma, a high baking temperature is required during the roasting process. However, a high baking temperature can cause the tobacco leaves to turn a darker yellow color, resulting in uneven color and, most importantly, making them very prone to breakage. To address these issues, the tobacco leaves are soaked in a sodium salt solution before roasting and then placed in the curing room for drying. This reduces breakage and ensures a uniform color, preventing the leaves from turning a dark yellow and resulting in a consistent orange-yellow hue.

[0025] The above-described solution of the present invention will be described below through specific embodiments.

[0026] Example 1

[0027] S1. Dilute the enzyme reagent with water and spray it evenly on both sides of the tobacco leaves for fermentation treatment. After fermentation treatment, soak the tobacco leaves in sodium chloride solution for soaking treatment.

[0028] S2. Place the spices and tobacco leaves in the curing room, heat to the first temperature stage, maintain the first curing time, then heat to the second temperature stage, maintain the second curing time, then heat to the third temperature stage, maintain the third curing time, then heat to the fourth temperature stage, maintain the fourth curing time, then heat to the fifth temperature stage, maintain the fifth curing time, and then end the gradient heating step.

[0029] S3. Remove the roasted tobacco leaves and let them cool to room temperature to obtain the finished roasted tobacco leaves;

[0030] S4. Conduct performance tests on the cured tobacco leaves, then process the cured tobacco leaves into finished cigarettes, and evaluate the performance of the cigarettes.

[0031] The specific operating conditions are shown in Table 1 and its continuation below. In Table 1 and its continuation, the unit of temperature is ℃, the unit of time is min, and the unit of tobacco leaf thickness is mm. The aroma, smoke, and taste characteristics in the continuation of Table 2 are obtained after tasting the cigarettes prepared using the corresponding tobacco leaves. The aroma quantity in Table 2 is obtained by the evaluators through sensory evaluation of the roasted tobacco leaves.

[0032] The preparation conditions of Example 18 are basically the same as those of Example 1. The difference between Example 18 and Example 1 is that after adding enzyme reagent for fermentation, the step of "soaking tobacco leaves in sodium chloride solution" is not performed.

[0033] Table 1 Test conditions

[0034]

[0035] Table 1 continues in Table 1

[0036]

[0037] Table 1 continues in Table 2

[0038]

[0039] Table 2. Properties of tobacco leaves after curing

[0040]

[0041] Table 2 (continued)

[0042]

[0043] The analysis of Table 2 leads to the following conclusions:

[0044] According to the results of Examples 1, 4, and 5, the temperature in the first temperature stage has a significant impact on the thickness of the tobacco leaf layer. A suitable temperature allows the tobacco leaves to lose water rapidly and deform, increasing the leaf layer thickness and the gaps between the leaves, thereby improving the adhesion of the flavoring, significantly increasing the aroma quantity and persistence, and ultimately resulting in the highest sensory evaluation score for the cigarette. If the temperature in the first temperature stage is too low, water loss is slow, the tobacco leaf deformation is small, the leaf layer thickness is thin, and the gaps between the leaves are small, resulting in weak flavoring adhesion and poor sensory evaluation. Conversely, if the temperature in the first temperature stage is too high, the tobacco leaves will lose water too quickly, leading to poor leaf toughness and affecting the integrity of the leaves. Furthermore, the leaves will be too dark in color, resulting in greater smoking irritation.

[0045] According to the results of Examples 1 and 6, if the temperature in the second temperature stage is too high, the tobacco leaf layer thickness will be relatively large, the toughness of the tobacco leaf will be significantly reduced, the tobacco leaf will be easily damaged, resulting in poor integrity of the tobacco leaf, darker color of the tobacco leaf, greater irritation when smoking, and poor smoking experience. However, in Example 1, the high temperature drying in the first temperature stage causes the tobacco leaf to deform and increase the gap between the tobacco leaves. After cooling, the tobacco leaf is shaped, which can ensure that there are good gaps between the tobacco leaves, maintain the integrity of the tobacco leaf, and reduce the damage of the tobacco leaf.

[0046] According to the results of Examples 1, 7 and 8, the third temperature stage continues baking after the second temperature stage. If the temperature is too low, the adhesion and penetration of the spices will be poor. If the temperature is too high, the color of the tobacco leaves will be darker, the irritation of the tobacco leaves will be significantly increased, and there will be a small amount of damage to the tobacco leaves.

[0047] According to the results of Examples 1, 9, and 10, the fourth temperature stage mainly enhances the penetration of flavorings into the tobacco leaves. The appropriate temperature in Example 1 allows the flavorings to fully penetrate into the tobacco leaves, improving the adhesion of flavorings in the tobacco leaves, enhancing the persistence of aroma, and significantly improving the smoking experience of the cigarette. If the temperature is too low, the aroma persistence of the tobacco leaves is poor. If there is no fourth temperature stage, the amount of aroma in the tobacco leaves is significantly reduced, and the persistence is very poor, resulting in a poor smoking experience for users.

[0048] According to the results of Examples 1 and 11, the fifth temperature stage is a cooling stage after the high temperature in the fourth temperature stage allows the fragrance to fully penetrate into the tobacco leaves. The appropriate temperature in Example 1 allows the fragrance to cool fully and adhere to the surface of the tobacco leaves, increasing the amount of aroma in the tobacco leaves and improving the binding strength between the fragrance and the tobacco leaves, resulting in good aroma persistence. If the temperature is slightly higher and the cooling degree is lower, the amount of fragrance adhering will be greatly reduced, and the aroma persistence will be poor.

[0049] The results from Examples 1, 12, and 13 show that adding a mixed enzyme preparation of α-amylase and cellulase can reduce cellulose and sugars in tobacco leaves, while fermentation can increase the aroma compounds in the tobacco leaves. The combined use of these two enzymes significantly enhances the aroma and sensory experience of smoking the tobacco. However, due to the fermentation effect of the added enzymes, the tobacco leaves become more pliable, resulting in smaller gaps between the leaves during curing. This makes it difficult for the flavorings to adhere after the leaves are dried and shaped, leading to a decrease in both the quantity and persistence of the aroma.

[0050] According to the results of Examples 1 and 14-17, the combination of Gynostemma pentaphyllum and fennel as a flavoring agent has the best effect on the irritation, aftertaste and strength of the smoke. When Gynostemma pentaphyllum is used alone, the irritation is insufficient, and when fennel is used alone, the strength is insufficient. Compared with Gynostemma pentaphyllum and fennel, the two flavoring agents, dried tangerine peel and mugwort, have a poor adsorption capacity with tobacco leaves during the above-mentioned roasting process, resulting in a lower aroma of tobacco leaves and a poor smoking experience.

[0051] According to the results of Examples 1 and 18, soaking tobacco leaves in sodium salt before baking can prevent the tobacco leaves from turning dark yellow during high-temperature baking and improve the flexibility of the tobacco leaves. The tobacco leaves are less likely to break during the drying process. It is speculated that the sodium salt solution can soften the cell walls of tobacco leaves, making the tobacco leaves softer and improving their plasticity. It can also make the color of the tobacco leaves more uniform and the color fixed after baking.

[0052] Based on the results of Example 1 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2, it can be seen that the method for improving the smoking quality of upper tobacco leaves provided in this application adopts a heating method with at least five temperature gradients during the baking process, which improves the adhesion effect of spices in tobacco leaves, enhances the persistence of aromatic components, and can significantly improve the smoking experience of users during use.

[0053] The above description is merely an embodiment of this application, and the scope of protection of this application is not limited to these specific embodiments, but is determined by the claims of this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the technical concept and principles of this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A treatment method for improving the quality of an upper tobacco leaf smoke product, characterized by, The method comprises the following steps: 1) fermentation pretreatment of tobacco leaves before curing, which comprises the step of uniformly spraying enzyme reagent on the front and back of the tobacco leaves after diluting with water for fermentation, wherein the enzyme reagent comprises amylase and cellulase; 2) soaking the tobacco leaves with sodium salt before curing after the fermentation pretreatment; 3) placing the spices and tobacco leaves in a curing barn and curing by gradient heating, wherein the spices comprise Gynostemma pentaphyllum and cumin; wherein the gradient heating comprises the following steps: placing the spices and tobacco leaves in a curing barn, heating to a first temperature stage, maintaining the first curing time, then heating to a second temperature stage, maintaining the second curing time, then heating to a third temperature stage, maintaining the third curing time, then heating to a fourth temperature stage, maintaining the fourth curing time, then heating to a fifth temperature stage, maintaining the fifth curing time, and then ending the gradient heating step; the temperature of the first temperature stage is 80-100℃, the temperature of the second temperature stage is 60-80℃, the temperature of the third temperature stage is 80-100℃, the temperature of the fourth temperature stage is 100-110℃, and the temperature of the fifth temperature stage is 30-40℃; the first curing time is 5-15 min, the second curing time is 20-30 min, the third curing time is 5-15 min, the fourth curing time is 5-10 min, and the fifth curing time is 10-20 min.

2. The treatment method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The amylase is mesophilic α-amylase.

3. The treatment method of claim 1, wherein, The ratio of Gynostemma pentaphyllum and cumin is 1:1.

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