ChinaVoodoo
Moderator
I have read all of the threads in the Latakia section of the forum, and i thought a good idea would be to have a thread dedicated specifically to cataloging the efforts people have made in the realm of wood selection, asking questions, and making suggestions, but limiting discussion of "how to" because that's been clearly covered. It seems that although there are different accounts of what woods are used commercially, and historically, we do know some, and that for the most of us, the traditional fuels used for Latakia production are unavailable.
Unless if my reading skills are abysmal, in Cyprus, Latakia is usually made with a blend of wood, mostly consisting of Mastic, but also smaller portions of myrtle, cypress, and pine. In Syria, it's less certain, but most likely, Latakia is smoked primarily with oak, with smaller portions of pine. I'm sure everyone has access to some sort of pine, but pine only accounts for 4%of the fuel in Cyprus.
I hope to give Latakia making a shot this year, and hope to do the most accurate rendition I can with the wood choices available to me. It would be nice if one day, we can nail this Latakia thing.
Other woods that have been suggested are juniper, fir, cedar, spruce. One source I found when reading about mastic gum (the sap), is that almond sap has been used in the past as a substitute. Perhaps the wood would also be a good substitute? Peach is closely related to almond, anyone ever burn peach? Another suggestion is larch. The needles are softer and cleaner because they are deciduous, and they have a more generic conifer smell than pine which is rather distinct. (and they grow around here.)
Unless if my reading skills are abysmal, in Cyprus, Latakia is usually made with a blend of wood, mostly consisting of Mastic, but also smaller portions of myrtle, cypress, and pine. In Syria, it's less certain, but most likely, Latakia is smoked primarily with oak, with smaller portions of pine. I'm sure everyone has access to some sort of pine, but pine only accounts for 4%of the fuel in Cyprus.
I hope to give Latakia making a shot this year, and hope to do the most accurate rendition I can with the wood choices available to me. It would be nice if one day, we can nail this Latakia thing.
Other woods that have been suggested are juniper, fir, cedar, spruce. One source I found when reading about mastic gum (the sap), is that almond sap has been used in the past as a substitute. Perhaps the wood would also be a good substitute? Peach is closely related to almond, anyone ever burn peach? Another suggestion is larch. The needles are softer and cleaner because they are deciduous, and they have a more generic conifer smell than pine which is rather distinct. (and they grow around here.)