Lattaquie tobacco varietal. What is it?

[ChinaVoodoo]

Lattaquie shows up in the forum search in reference to Toscano style cigars, as well as fire curing. However, at Northwood Seeds, it is in the oriental section, described as a French tobacco without any flavour description. My experience with Japan 8, and Kumanovo has taught me that "oriental" isn't all you need to know. Can someone please give a bit more information on what type of tobacco it is, what it tastes like, and what it can be used for?

 

[Smokin Harley]

Lattaquie I would say it looks like a french spelling of.....Latakia???

 

[Knucklehead]

GRIN info: http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/acc/display.pl?1378005

 

[deluxestogie]

Lattaquie appears in the French national germplasm bank. My assumption is that, when the seed was originally collected, it was thought to be the variety used in Latakia, Syria or in Cyprus for the production of Latakia pipe tobacco.

I have grown a variety that was collected recently in Cyprus, and said to be "Latakia." The leaf was petiolate (with a leaf stem, like Samsun). I have carefully examined processed, whole leaf Cyprus Latakia from WLT. The WLT Latakia appears to be a Basma type (no petiole, like Izmir). The available tobacco company documentation suggest that Latakia is made from a "Yellow Basma," though there is conflicting information on that. My guess is that the variety of the leaf makes little difference in the outcome of the profound fire-curing used to produce the final Latakia pipe tobacco product.

So, I don't know what Lattaquie looks like or smokes like, but if your intent is to undertake home fire-curing (to make "Latakia" pipe tobacco), the only meaningful choice rests in the wood varieties used to make the smoke for the fire-curing chamber.

http://fairtradetobacco.com/threads/5016-Making-Latakia-at-Home

Bob

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

Bob,

Thank you for the in depth response. I suspected the name was merely a coincidence. I really have no intention of making Latakia. I'm moving into our new house in a couple weeks and thinking about all the gardening I'm going to do at the new place. The Lattaquie tobacco looks absolutely gorgeous on Northwood Seeds' website and I think it would go great along the front public sidewalk, maybe mixed in with one or two N.alata (jasmine) plants. I'm going to be growing lots of veggies and tobacco in my front yard in a much less hippie neighbourhood than I live in now, so i want it to look nice. But what really matters, ultimately, is that it's good to smoke and fits something I need.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

Lattaquie 92 has very smooth leaves. They are thick compared to other orientals I've grown. The largest are an estimated 18" long and 9" wide. They are sessile. The plants so far are about two feet tall. There are a moderate amount of suckers which I'm letting grow. The flowers are pink and have a slight scent to them.

 

[Smokin Harley]

why allowing the suckers to grow?

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

why allowing the suckers to grow?

I'm treating it like the traditional way of growing oriental tobacco. Closely planted, no interference. I won't be sun curing, however. I've also planted Yenidge and Canik the same way.

It's supposedly going to produce a more authentic oriental flavour growing like this. Last year I grew Bursa both closely and spread out. The closely planted ones taste better and were easier to process as i could stalk cure them. The leaves yellowed faster also. I would also guess that even though I got more leaf off of the ten spread out plants, that i got more tobacco per square foot planting the other ten closely.

 

[deluxestogie]

My impression is that sun-curing is more determinant of "Oriental taste" than the leaf size and spacing. I've had excellent results just stalk-cutting, suckers and all, and hanging the entire stalk out on the line. I even allow it to get rained upon, until the leaves begin to brown. The stalks' presence seems to minimize their drying green.

[I just completed my 5th Coursera.org on-line course (MOOC) from U. Alberta--Edmonton. Mostly dinosaur stuff. I feel like a neighbor.]

Bob

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

My impression is that sun-curing is more determinant of "Oriental taste" than the leaf size and spacing. I've had excellent results just stalk-cutting, suckers and all, and hanging the entire stalk out on the line. I even allow it to get rained upon, until the leaves begin to brown. The stalks' presence seems to minimize their drying green.

[I just completed my 5th Coursera.org on-line course (MOOC) from U. Alberta--Edmonton. Mostly dinosaur stuff. I feel like a neighbor.]

Bob

Hey, that's cool Bob. If you ever make it to the Royal Tyrell Museum, let me know and I'll drive down for the day.

re. Sun curing, it's too dry and cold here in the fall. I'd have to build something well insulated and clear. That's expensive. I tried 200W of fluorescent in the curing room on the Bursa, but I don't know if it worked. No greenhouse any more.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

Lattaquie 92 leaves ripen with a deep yellow to orange colour, and not necessarily starting at the tip.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

It cures lighter than I expected. I smell and taste apricot, lemon, and hops. I also taste cumin starting half way through the bowl. There is moderate sweetness. Medium nicotine. Would grow again, and would top them. The flowers are difficult to keep insect free. As it was a wet year, I think picking suckers and generally cleaning up the plants would have resulted in healthier leaf down below.

 

[ProfessorPangloss]

This is basic air cure, right? It sounds delicious and fancy all by itself. You may have talked me into it.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

This is basic air cure, right? It sounds delicious and fancy all by itself. You may have talked me into it.

It was more like it cured on the live plant, then was moved to my kiln at 118F for two days, followed by 135F for two days. So it's a quasi sun, flue, air cure combo.

Before you grow it, keep in mind is rather small and very low production.