I've been growing prilep Prilep P66-9/7 for a few years now and while it is tasty I am wondering if there is a huge difference in flavour compared to say, Samsun, Izmir Ozbas, Bafra or kumovgrad. I realize that each of those might have also have a different way of growing for me and not be exemplary in either taste or yield. With limited growing space and a fairly short season I really spend a lot of time thinking about what to grow, so I'm thankful for any input.
Orientals: big differences?
- Thread starter Radagast
- Start date
Prilep was distantly derived from Xanthi Basma. In my experience, it (Prilep 66-9/7 specifically) is the most productive of the Orientals. Krumovgrad and Izmir Ozbas are both Basma types, as are Smyrna and other Izmir types. They vary from one another in productivity and floral intensity, but are similar when blended. The petiolate types: Samsun, Bafra, Trabzon, Katerini, etc., offer a somewhat different aroma, compared to Basma types. Then there is a slew of sundry "ox-tongue" types, each with subtle differences.
After having grown 20+ Oriental varieties, and sampled/blended with over 30 Oriental varieties, my personal choice has been to go with ease of growing, and productivity. Sometimes, sentimentality causes me to grow out a specific Oriental variety only because the seed that I have is getting old, and needs to be refreshed.
Bob
After having grown 20+ Oriental varieties, and sampled/blended with over 30 Oriental varieties, my personal choice has been to go with ease of growing, and productivity. Sometimes, sentimentality causes me to grow out a specific Oriental variety only because the seed that I have is getting old, and needs to be refreshed.
Bob
Thanks Bob that is a huge help.
My two favorites are Prilep and Izmir Ozbas. Prilep gives me a definite floral flavor, with Izmir I detect a little bit of sourness that I enjoy as a change of pace. A good sour. I don't detect lemon but a nice sour. Sometimes I detect the same sour note in a nice flue cured virginia that I don't detect in a sun cured virginia. Its hard to explain but I like it.
edit: tart may be an even better description. It's not a citrus flavor.
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That is helpful to hear, I was thinking of trying Izmir as a change, thinking it would have more of a sultry-spicy-savoury incense-like character. I don't know how I came to that but your description points me to a much different imagining of it. I think I'm looking for something rather more "darkish", than tart. It's VERY tough to imagine what these varieties are going to be like a year down the road from when I order the seed. How would you describe Samsun? (if you've grown/had it)
Alpine
Moderator
Celikhan has an incense-like taste, and it performed very well for me. Rather big leaves too, bearing in mind that it’s a Turkish strain, of course. I’d like to try to grow Bursa on of these years…
pier
pier
akhisar45
Active Member
Hi Alpine,
Celikhan is not a oriental type. We are describe that "semi-oriental". This type of origin is considering to be virginia.
My Çelikhan from 2013.
From ARS-GRIN: "PI 494151 Celikhan. Local type. Cultivated. Seed." USDA use class: "Oriental"
The leaf shape is not a Virginia (Orinoco) type. The size measurements of the leaf suggest a hybridization of a smaller Oriental with perhaps a Virginia type, and the Çelikhan plants seem more sensitive to crowded planting than smaller Orientals. I have flu-cured Çelikhan. Like most of the Orientals that I've flu-cured, it comes out very bright and sweet, but not particularly suggestive of Virginia.
Bob