Smoke Curing tobacco.

[StihlEchoingHusky]

I'm having a hard time wording things correctly in a Google search. Some one here ought to know.

I'm curious, If part of the process of making Latakia is smoke Curing it. Can you use tobacco leaf as the fuel for the fire?? And if so would it add anything different to it vs using wood?

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

Latakia was traditionally smoke cured over burning camel dung. I would think using tobacco leaf as a curing fuel would be a waste of good tobacco. I might be wrong but I would assume tobacco leaf would burn too hot and fast to be effective as a curing fuel as well. Slow burning woods would be the best fuel I think, unless you have access to camel patties.

 

[khiddy]

That’s simply… highly unlikely if not outright untrue about the use of camel dung in Latakia production, but this claim keeps getting parroted year after year and thus perpetuates. Time to put it to rest.

Latakia was/is cured over fires consisting of whatever wood is available locally to the production site (plus a combination of fragrant herbs). That is part of the reason why production was halted in Syria, due to a concern about deforestation of an area that is already bereft of trees (plus the ongoing Syrian civil war).

One of the characteristic woods of that region is mastic, which is said to have an earthy, barnyard-like aroma to its smoke. This may be the reason why someone came up with the idea that camel dung was being used to fire the Latakia. Still… unlikely if not entirely untrue.

Read all about Latakia production here:

https://www.smokingpipes.com/smokingpipesblog/single.cfm/post/closer-look-latakia-tobacco

 

[pappymac]

Now, here's a random thought for you.

Has anyone ever tried smoke curing tobacco using peat?
They use peat in the malting of barley for Scotch production so could it theoretically be used to smoke cure tobacco?

 

[Bbailey324]

Now, here's a random thought for you.

Has anyone ever tried smoke curing tobacco using peat?
They use peat in the malting of barley for Scotch production so could it theoretically be used to smoke cure tobacco?

I've never seen that done but it sounds like a reasonable idea. Possibly tobacco growing regions and peat bog formations don't naturally overlap so it doesn't happen. Could be an interesting experiment though.

 

[Puff nstuff]

 

[Lumbridge]

Tobacco-cured tobacco... I guess it is possible, though maybe not practical. The smoke curing process takes quite a lot of time and fuel, so you'd be using a lot of tobacco to fuel the fires. However, maybe the leaf ribs, stems, and stalks could be used for this purpose? Someone with a smoker and some whole leaf on hand should take one for the team and test this for us.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

About five years ago, I cured some of my freshly picked bright leaf leaves in a makeshift smoker that I made by stacking two barrels and using a pellet feed smoker as the source of heat and smoke. I had posted a picture on here, but I no longer have the picture in my phone. But, you also need a source of moisture to keep the leaf from drying out in the process.

Anyways, I have given out a few jars of my fire cured Virginias, and they have developed an interesting fruitiness. IMO, it is very close to the tastes of Firebird Flake, which also uses fire cured Virginias.

I would not suggest using tobacco smoke as the source for curing this way. What you end up with would be akin to dottle than something pleasant.

 

[StihlEchoingHusky]

Essentially Adding tobacco resin to tobacco. I don't know about the every thing it takes to grow and cure tobacco. I'm going to try growing some come next year. I'm going to do what I always do when it comes to doing anything I've never done nor been taught. That is to just dive right in. Just over this pass year and a half I have taught myself to weld mig,stick and a little bit of tig. That seneiro was helping my mother with a repair on her car. Sway bar brackets welded on nut had snapped off, we were quoted a grand. Not on my watch. Grabbed a flux core from harbor freight practice for a handful of weeks then made the repair. I've also taught myself how to work on a septic system as well as actual galvanized plumbing, and then I discovered chainsaws!!! That has actually become a small business of mine. Now if I could only teach my self proper punctuation then I'd be set!!! Lol

 

[Gerald Boone]

That’s simply… highly unlikely if not outright untrue about the use of camel dung in Latakia production, but this claim keeps getting parroted year after year and thus perpetuates. Time to put it to rest.

Latakia was/is cured over fires consisting of whatever wood is available locally to the production site (plus a combination of fragrant herbs). That is part of the reason why production was halted in Syria, due to a concern about deforestation of an area that is already bereft of trees (plus the ongoing Syrian civil war).

One of the characteristic woods of that region is mastic, which is said to have an earthy, barnyard-like aroma to its smoke. This may be the reason why someone came up with the idea that camel dung was being used to fire the Latakia. Still… unlikely if not entirely untrue.

Read all about Latakia production here:

https://www.smokingpipes.com/smokingpipesblog/single.cfm/post/closer-look-latakia-tobacco

My research mirrors your own. I would be very happy if the forests returned to Syria and they started making latakia tobacco again.

 

[karam]

My research mirrors your own. I would be very happy if the forests returned to Syria and they started making latakia tobacco again.

Syrian Latakia production was halted by the Syrian government in the late 60s I think, the chance of it coming back is basically zero.

 

[anotherbob]

the camal dung thing is very suspect. People burn dung but only when they don't have trees or better fire sources. It's a desert thing not a thing people do when other options are available.
Smoking it with tobacco would only make sense if the tobacco was completely unsellable. You'd basically increase your costs while severely undercutting your profit.