ROTTERDAM, Netherlands - Along the scenic shores of Kralingse Bos, a man-made lake in Rotterdam, sit two antique windmills, De Ster and De Lelie. And after almost 300 years, they are still used for their original purpose, to mill spices and grind tobacco leaves into nasal snuff.

The two windmills, which were originally built in the 1700's, were destroyed by fire in the 1960's,...
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ROTTERDAM, Netherlands - Along the scenic shores of Kralingse Bos, a man-made lake in Rotterdam, sit two antique windmills, De Ster and De Lelie. And after almost 300 years, they are still used for their original purpose, to mill spices and grind tobacco leaves into nasal snuff.

The two windmills, which were originally built in the 1700's, were destroyed by fire in the 1960's, but were later restored to their original condition in an effort to maintain the historical heritage of the area. And due to the public awareness of health issues related to smoking, the demand for smokeless tobacco, such as snuff, is on the rise - so the old mills are kept grinding away.

Nasal snuff is made from dried tobacco leaves which are first "sauced" or marinated in a secret recipe of sweeteners and natural aromatic oils, then allowed to cure for up to a year. Popular flavors of nasal snuff include peppermint, menthol, anise, chocolate and coffee, as well as many fruit and floral scents.

The sauced tobacco leaves are rolled in a piece of linen cloth and wrapped with a cord, which is called a "carrot". Each carrot weighs about 2.5 to 3 kg. The carrots are stored for about a month at which point the linen cloth and cord are changed for fresh ones and then are allowed to ferment for up to a year. Finally, the cured tobacco is chopped up and then ground into nasal snuff.
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