Whether you call it fronto, fanta, grabba, or even red herring, rolling with whole leaf tobacco has been a popular trend in many island communities for decades.
It has a lot of benefits, including an additional buzz that comes from smoking an all natural leaf instead of chemically bleached papers that tear easily and cost more in the long run.
With everyone referring to essentially the same thing and by so many different names, people can get confused and depending on who you ask, you may get a completely different definition of the exact same product! Below is a primer for those interested in the variety of whole leaf tobacco for rolling your own.
Fronto, Fanta, any name beginning with “F” typically describes a darker leaf, yet thin enough to use for wrapping or rolling. Typically, the darker the leaf, the thicker it is, and the thicker the leaf, the less satisfying your wrap will be.
Although imperfections like small holes in the leaf can easily be cut around, ideally you should see a whole tobacco leaf with no damage. In the U.S., thinner fronto leaves are more popular for rolling.
If you’re looking to crush and blend your tobacco leaf, you might look for Grabba, Hot Grabba Leaf, or even Red Rose. These leaves are dark with a thick texture, so they’re perfect for crushing into smaller pieces and adding to your wrap. More commonly seen in Jamaica and other Caribbean islands, these whole tobacco leaves may have a few more imperfections, but they will be torn into pieces before being smoked anyway.
If you really want to get freaky, try Red Herring, a dark leaf with a distinctive smell – think smoked fish or barbecue. It has a much stronger flavor than fronto or grabba, for an additional kick.
What to Look for in a Leaf
After purchasing your high-quality whole tobacco leaves, first open the bag and inspect your product. Make sure your leaf has the right moisture content. If the leaf is dry, crunchy, and not pliable, mist with water and re-seal in the package until it absorbs some of the water and becomes flexible.
If the leaf is so moist that you feel water on your hands after handling, open and let dry in the open air until just flexible. Once the leaf is ready to roll, simply cut along the veins and smoke up!
If using Grabba is your goal, make sure the leaf is air-dried enough to crush and add as desired!
