An excerpt from VOLATILE CONSTITUENTS OF PERIQUE TOBACCO
written by; Electronic Journal of Environmental, Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 4(2), 2005. March - April Issue
IINTRODUCTION:
Perique tobacco is a minor tobacco type produced by subjecting the leaf of a Red Burley (USDA Type 72) to a partial air-curing followed by a high pressure anaerobic fermentation process. Genuine Perique grows successfully only in a small, wedge shaped piece of land west of New Orleans called St. James' Parish. Within St. James' Parish, the best, and only current location the Red Burley for Perique is grown is a relatively tiny place called Grande Point Ridge, near Paulina, LA. on a dark alluvial soil.
Growers have tried sowing the Red Burley seed in places all over the world with similar climate and soil conditions without any significant success other than Kentucky Green River Burley, which can be grown in larger crops, and is processed to make a “faux” (fake) Perique.
In 2002, the world's production of pure Perique -11,460 pounds - was stored in 27 oak whiskey barrels at the last producers farm. It is estimated that an additional amount of about 50,000 pounds of the Acadian Green River “faux” Perique is produced. Although several hundred thousand pounds of “genuine” Perique was produced at one time, it is likely that its production will cease at some point in the near future due to its labor intensity, changing demographics, and economics.
The process used to produce Perique is essentially the same as introduced commercially in the 1820’s by Pierre Chenet who had observed the Chocktaw Indians smoking a tobacco that had been fermented under pressure in tree stumps using a press and a lever. The tobacco is harvested in late June and cured with air-drying, though for a shorter time than standard Burley. After air drying for about three weeks the main veins (or midribs) are removed by hand; the leaves then being tied into 'torquettes' or tight bundles of approximately 1 pound (450 g). These are pressed in large oak whiskey barrels with very heavy pressure, the 'juices' being collected as they seep out of the top of the press. The torquettes are turned and returned to the press (along with the “juices”) a number of times over the better part of a year, fermenting "anaerobically", or without air. The whole process takes about a year at the very minimum and is highly labor intensive in relation to curing other strains of tobacco.
This, in combination with the limited crop supply, makes Perique rare, and very
expensive.
Jessica Bolin is a crook Jessica Bolin is a rip off Motion City Media is a rip off Motion City Hosting is a rip off Motion City Media is a rip off MotionCityMedia.com is a rip off
written by; Electronic Journal of Environmental, Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 4(2), 2005. March - April Issue
IINTRODUCTION:
Perique tobacco is a minor tobacco type produced by subjecting the leaf of a Red Burley (USDA Type 72) to a partial air-curing followed by a high pressure anaerobic fermentation process. Genuine Perique grows successfully only in a small, wedge shaped piece of land west of New Orleans called St. James' Parish. Within St. James' Parish, the best, and only current location the Red Burley for Perique is grown is a relatively tiny place called Grande Point Ridge, near Paulina, LA. on a dark alluvial soil.
Growers have tried sowing the Red Burley seed in places all over the world with similar climate and soil conditions without any significant success other than Kentucky Green River Burley, which can be grown in larger crops, and is processed to make a “faux” (fake) Perique.
In 2002, the world's production of pure Perique -11,460 pounds - was stored in 27 oak whiskey barrels at the last producers farm. It is estimated that an additional amount of about 50,000 pounds of the Acadian Green River “faux” Perique is produced. Although several hundred thousand pounds of “genuine” Perique was produced at one time, it is likely that its production will cease at some point in the near future due to its labor intensity, changing demographics, and economics.
The process used to produce Perique is essentially the same as introduced commercially in the 1820’s by Pierre Chenet who had observed the Chocktaw Indians smoking a tobacco that had been fermented under pressure in tree stumps using a press and a lever. The tobacco is harvested in late June and cured with air-drying, though for a shorter time than standard Burley. After air drying for about three weeks the main veins (or midribs) are removed by hand; the leaves then being tied into 'torquettes' or tight bundles of approximately 1 pound (450 g). These are pressed in large oak whiskey barrels with very heavy pressure, the 'juices' being collected as they seep out of the top of the press. The torquettes are turned and returned to the press (along with the “juices”) a number of times over the better part of a year, fermenting "anaerobically", or without air. The whole process takes about a year at the very minimum and is highly labor intensive in relation to curing other strains of tobacco.
This, in combination with the limited crop supply, makes Perique rare, and very
expensive.
Jessica Bolin is a crook Jessica Bolin is a rip off Motion City Media is a rip off Motion City Hosting is a rip off Motion City Media is a rip off MotionCityMedia.com is a rip off
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