Snus outside of Sweden

Snus usage and the rest of the world

Even though snus is a Swedish product it is becoming more and more popular all over the world. In Sweden snus is more popular than cigarettes or any other form of tobacco. Snus has become more and more popular in many countries in the last decade and its popularity is constantly increasing. Today America has become the largest snus market in the world. But snus is not a new thing in America.

picture of ettan snus In the years between 1840 and 1930 a quarter of the Swedish population emigrated to the United States of America in hope to find a better life for themselves and their families. Most of the emigrants settled down in the northeast corner of America and most of them improved the quality of life. Of course these people missed their families that were back in Sweden but they also missed their beloved snus.

The Swedes that were living in America sent a letters to their families back home and begged them to send snus or to ring snus with them when they were coming to America. A young girl that emigrated in the 1890’s testifies that her most important piece of luggage was a small barrel of snus for her brothers in Hill Top, Canada. In fear of the barrel being confiscated by the customs, she hid it under her clothes. She later told her grandchildren that if she had showed up at Top Hill without snus, she wouldn’t have been welcome.

Among the emigrants there were several that understood the lucrative possibilities in snus manufacturing. This was quit suitable since America is the homeland of tobacco. The snus usage was one of the best known features of Swedes in America. In New York, Minneapolis and Chicago the main streets were called snus boulevards. In these streets there were a lot of shops that sold snus that were manufactures in America. But this snus didn’t taste like the snus found in Sweden. Swedish newspapers even reported that it was impossible to buy proper snus in America.

picture of old snus barrel But the there was a solution close at hand. A new invention made it possible to keep the snus fresh during the long voyage across the Atlantic. The solution was to store the snus in a container made of metal foil from zinc or led. This invention meant that snus now could be exported from Sweden to a number of countries that it was imposable to sell snus to just a few years earlier.

And it wasn’t only to America that snus was exported. The Swedish snus manufacturer J. F. Ljunglöf even got a costumer in the Vatican. The new snus user in the Vatican was Pope Leo XIII. The Swede Claes Lagerman was appointed the task of introducing the brand Ettan to the Pope. Unfortunately the etiquette called for that one of the cardinals had to present the snus to the Pope and the cardinal dropped the can and the snus spilled all over the Popes clothes. Luckily the Pope scoped up most of the snus and tried it and later that day Lagerman could place a new snus order to Sweden on behalf of the Pope.