Kentucky Dark Fired: America's Latakia
Farming In The Black Patch Preview
Part One
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Farming In The Black Patch Preview
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Farming In The Black Patch: Video on Dark Fired
- Thread starter woodsroad
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It occurs to me that there are a lot of fragrant conifers that grow in the US. With a well designed, computerized smokehouse, it should be quite easy to duplicate Latakia, or even better, produce something different but just as wonderful. I mean, the US is the world HQ for smoked meats. How different is smoking tobacco leaf?
The question is, would it be economically feasible?
I suppose that if you built a large smokehouse and bought green leaf locally, you could do it. Then again, that would mean that the smokehouse would sit idle for a good part of the year.
I don't know, I'm not a business school grad. But certainly, I would think that "boutique" smoke infused tobacco could be a hot commodity, if marketed properly. Hire the agency that handles Jack Daniels or Sam Adams.
The question is, would it be economically feasible?
I suppose that if you built a large smokehouse and bought green leaf locally, you could do it. Then again, that would mean that the smokehouse would sit idle for a good part of the year.
I don't know, I'm not a business school grad. But certainly, I would think that "boutique" smoke infused tobacco could be a hot commodity, if marketed properly. Hire the agency that handles Jack Daniels or Sam Adams.
I think the issue you will have with "American Grown" Latakia is that Latakia is made from oriental tobacco, which does not grow in the US, similar to how Cuban leaf cannot be grown in the Dominican Republic (at least not to the same avail).
That is not to say that a new style of Latakia cannot be developed in the US, but it will not be "Latakia" in the traditional sense as it would not use the proper leaf.
That is not to say that a new style of Latakia cannot be developed in the US, but it will not be "Latakia" in the traditional sense as it would not use the proper leaf.
Neil, that's right.
Latakia, however is not a homogeneous product, either. It is produced in small amounts in many locations, spread over a wide area, using different tobacco. Even if it is all the same variety (which it is not) the soil and climate differences alone (as you know) will change the final outcome. And really, Latakia originates only in Latakia, Syria. Anything else is smoke-infused tobacco.
So, it has been discussed that Latakia owes most of it's attributes to the smoking process, and less to the specific strain of tobacco being used.
But I'm just positing that it should be possible to make some damned good smoked-infused tobacco here in the US.
Latakia, however is not a homogeneous product, either. It is produced in small amounts in many locations, spread over a wide area, using different tobacco. Even if it is all the same variety (which it is not) the soil and climate differences alone (as you know) will change the final outcome. And really, Latakia originates only in Latakia, Syria. Anything else is smoke-infused tobacco.
So, it has been discussed that Latakia owes most of it's attributes to the smoking process, and less to the specific strain of tobacco being used.
But I'm just positing that it should be possible to make some damned good smoked-infused tobacco here in the US.
These videos want me to install some german video player plugin.
Where were these originally hosted?
Where were these originally hosted?
There are a few leaf varieties that feature a smokey "almost latakia" fragrance. There is a smoked (dark fired) Kentucky leaf (which is the closest to a latakia IMO), and several stoved Virginias and burleys. D&R has also been playing with a few new smokey varieties. And, we do have orientals growing here, but they just don't taste the same, IMO, when grown out of their zone. Latakia has that sweet back note that we just can't replicate here. But, there are some leaf varieties that are very close.
We had two barns on our family farm growing up, and one was for smoking the leaf. They are falling apart now, but the idea of smoking the tobacco leaf to enrich the taste and fragrance is not new to the US at all. Haven't you had a blend that was listed as all Virginia, or a Va/bur blend and caught a hint of latakia-like taste?
We had two barns on our family farm growing up, and one was for smoking the leaf. They are falling apart now, but the idea of smoking the tobacco leaf to enrich the taste and fragrance is not new to the US at all. Haven't you had a blend that was listed as all Virginia, or a Va/bur blend and caught a hint of latakia-like taste?
Crap!! LOL. This will teach me to comment before actually watching the videos, LOL. I just can't see them on my phone, and I got caught up in the comments... well... and my comment becomes silly.
Cosmicfolklore, that was a good follow up, I appreciate it. What do you know about D&R's efforts on smoked tobacco? I really like some of their stuff, like Ramback and Rimboche AB, but they don't have a website, and I can't find any information on the who, what, where, when and how of their operation. Seems to me that their marketing just completely sucks.
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