English Blog
The “golden” era of tobacco in Xanthi
Nov
No other city in Greece has associated its name with the period of the tobacco boom (1880-1925) as much as Xanthi. The dynamics of both trade and the quality of tobacco gave the city a new breath and glamour for the standards of that time.
The first large tobacco shop opened its doors in Xanthi in 1890, offering its employees “asprogiades”, as they were called, high wages and the prospect of a better future. In just a few years Xanthi will be established as the metropolis of the highest quality oriental tobacco, Basma or Yenidje Tobacco. Large tobacco companies with multinational reach are investing in the region during this period.
Xanthi’s “bashmas” was considered the best in the world, while the Sultan of Constantinople and his court obtained tobacco exclusively from Xanthi.
In modern times, with the widespread use of cheap, low-quality tobacco, filters and chemical colour additives, the smoker is no longer in contact with the real but the artificial flavour and colour of tobacco.
We want to pay tribute to the famous Basmas of Xanthi, we were inspired and created a soap, which with its aura you can also travel to the Belle Époque of the city and feel its unique air and its unparalleled scents.
