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The Kretek cigarette is actually the result of a mixture of various types
of tobaccos, clove, flavors and other additional ingredients.
Tobacco
During purchasing, tobacco is carefully selected by the tobacco experts
(graders) for their aroma, taste and physical appearance.
Before the dried tobacco leaves being processed for the cigarette raw
material, they need long and complicated process. It begins with the stripping
of the stem, then cleaning (to eliminate foreign matters and maintain
hygienic standards), slicing, finally the tobacco is stored in a special
packing case for storage in the warehouses under specific temperature
and humidity controls.
Cloves -
Eugenia Caryophyllus (Eugenia Aromatica O.K.) as the main raw material
for kretek cigarettes, also entail highly-skilled selection, careful processing
and meticulous storage techniques.
The company select only the highest quality cloves. The clove then will
be processed for the cleansing, slicing and drying. Once the process is
completed, the clove is stored in hygienic stainless steel silos until
it is required for production
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Flavours and Supporting Materials
Like a delicious 'meal' that needs sauce and seasoning, a perfect blend
of clove and tobacco will make a fine cigarette (read: aromatic, tasteful
and pleasing), only if a fine flavor is added to the blended tobacco and
clove. And so it remains today: three basic components - tobacco, cloves
and flavors - resulting in superior cigarettes made by the high-skilled,
long-experienced employees.
High-quality filter and cigarette paper also play an important role
in making excellent cigarettes. To date, filter is still imported. To
save foreign currency and to secure the demand of the cigarette papers,
PT Gudang Garam has established a cigarette paper manufacturer using French
technology called PT Surya Zig Zag that is also based in Kediri.
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