Latakia is a strange beast; when I first encountered her, I was horrified. The smell was unpleasant, and the flavour...well, my taste-buds were in shock. I wondered what I had gotten myself into as I set my bowl aside, reaching for my trusty aromatic blends.
But that night, the stinky-lady called to me. And no, I'm not talking about my wife - she smells lovely, thank you. As I lay in bed that evening, I began to crave the rich, leathery smokiness; full of flavours like peat, cedar, camphor, and even burning rubber...but somehow, in a wonderful way. From that moment on, I was sold; my short-list contains blends like Ten Russians, Westminister, and Nightcap - the more Latakia the better.
And thats just Cypriot. Syrian will open a whole new world of incense like subtleties, intertwining with the delicate Oriental leaf and sweet Virginia's that often mark such blends.
I say crack away; but smoke a couple of bowls before you turn up your nose. Like many of the finer things in life (strong cheese, good wine, single malt scotch, raw oysters, etc.), one rarely appreciates the bold flavours the first time around.
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