Naswar - Snuff Tobacco Of Pashtuns
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Whether we like it or not the tobacco known as “naswar” is associated with Pashtuns. Naswar is primarily used in Central Asia, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Sweden and India. In Pakistan though it is is predominantly used by members of the Pashtun ethnic group. Some of the many varieties of naswar are produced in different parts of the Khyber-Pakhtunkwa Province of Pakistan and the city of Bannu is especially famous for producing the best naswar.
Naswar is held in the mouth for 10 to 15 minutes. If it is chewed it produces a bad taste in the mouth. Usually, the consumption varies but mostly people take it on an hourly basis as it is highly addictive. Nowadays most of the educated Pashtuns are against the use of this product because of it’s detrimental health effects.


An assortment of naswar.


A worker crushing dried Tobacco for converting it to Naswar. Naswar or dried Tobacco is used mostly by Pashtuns but it is also popular among many others. Naswar could be found in two colors i.e green or Black, and the use of Naswar is by placing a small portion like a small tablet inside the mouth and then extracting the juice out of it without bringing down the material of naswar to the stomach, and after few minutes the Naswar is then thrown out

Images of a roadside Snuff Tobacco (Naswar) maker selling his tobacco products under a bridge in Karachi. Naswar is a type of dipping tobacco, made from fresh tobacco leaves, calcium oxide (chuna), and wood ash. It is consumed in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sweden, and parts of India. Karachi, Pakistan. 11/03/2010. Naswar is a type of dipping tobacco, made from fresh tobacco leaves, calcium oxide (chuna), and wood ash. It is consumed in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sweden, and parts of India. ‘Naswar' (Snuff Tobacco) supposedly a pure Pashtun stuff. Many seem to think that taking snuff tobacco is a fairly new phenomenon that died out over the last century due to the increase in popularity of cigarettes. Snuff tobacco, however, has a rich and varied history since it was first discovered on Columbus' second voyage to the Americas. Snuff taking has straddled all social classes from the aristocracy to the miner and spread to all corners of the world from Europe to China. Different snuff etiquettes and cultures have developed through the centuries and there have been a number of prominent snuff takers including the likes of Napolean and King Louis XIII. The history of snuff tobacco is very rich but we have topic of Pashtun Snuff Tobacco so here it is. Snuff Tobacoo (NASWAR) Held in the mouth for 10 to 15 minutes. It cannot be chewed because it then produce bad taste in the mouth. Usually it depends but people take it hourly basis. Predominantly used by members of the Pashtun ethnic groups. Nowadays people of other regions i.e. Punjab, Sindh and Baluchistan also uses it and the number of addict people is increasing day by day. Some of the great varieties of naswar are found in different parts of N-WFP Pakistan but Bannu is specially famous for it. Sun and heat-dried tobacco leaves, slaked lime, ash from tree bark, and flavoring and coloring agents are mixed together. Water is added and the mixture is rolled into balls.
Naswar waiting to be sold in Karachi

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