So Many Uses for Tobacco

[craiginthecorn]

I was skimming through an old book on tobacco and stumbled on a reference to Orinoco tobacco. In the late 1990s, I spent a month in the Orinoco Basin of southern Venezuela, which is the northern end of the Amazon jungle. I was in a remote Yąnomamö village. The article reminded me of a photo I took during that time. By the way, it’s incredibly hot in this area of the world.

 

[pepesdad1]

What has she got in her mouth? Looks like tobacco leaves over her head.

 

[craiginthecorn]

I was told that it is a chaw of tobacco. It was a common sight. I never saw them smoking it, though.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Great picture, Craig.

Orinoco is one of the (new to me) varieties that I am growing this year. It is the original variety of which Virginias were derived from in the mid 1800's. All derivatives from this cultivar are known as brightleaves.
I would be very interested in how they cured it. For the tobacco nerds, Orinoco was being grown in South Carolina in very poor sandy soils, cultivating large leafed but spindly plants, when a slave named Stephen noticed that when the tobacco curing next to his unkept fires were much sweeter than the usual batches. And, their bright yellow color was what gave the new variety the name brightleaf. Thus, flue curing was born as an intentional process.

 

[craiginthecorn]

I didn’t smoke at all at that time, so I wasn’t very observant regarding their use of tobacco. The Yanomami generally live in structures made wth wooden poles clad with leaves. Lacking any refrigeration, they kept low fires burning at all times inside, with the meat and fish on racks near the fire. It would’ve been possible to dry leaves either by tying them to the walls or near these fires. I’ll check with my missionary friend, who still lives in the village.

 

[mso489]

So is Orinoco an ancestor to what we know as Virginia leaf? How does, or would, the South American indigenous plant compare when flue cured? Maybe these are rhetorical questions, but if there are easy or probably correct answers, that would be good.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

MSO, from just what I’ve read, orinoco is still grown in the US, and is a stronger brightleaf (flue cure) variety that has a lot more nocotine when grown in fertile soil. There are several orinoco varieties, birdseye, yellow leaf, etc... but, I think most are kept cultivated by networks of homegrowers. Heirloom varieties like these are also grown for Native American rituals also. But, there are many more people growing tobacco at home than you’d realize.
I will know more about it, after this season. Hopefully. But, yes, it is an ancestorial cultivar.

 

[craiginthecorn]

The book that I found the the reference in said “The flavor is rich and mellow; a little more oily than Havana leaf. It is used for the manufacture of cigars.Orinoco tobacco makes very fine cigars, burning freely and leaving a pearl-colored ash; it is considered by Venezuelans to be much better than any variety grown in South America. In cultivating it, the planters use no fertilizer whatever, taking up new land as the old wears out. “
This method of growing is also how the Yanomami tend their gardens. They clear a circular area in the jungle, plant crops and peach palm trees. When the soil is depleted, which isn’t long, they abandon it and allow the peach palm trees to fill in. After a few years, these trees yield large amounts of difficult to harvest, starchy fruit.

 

[craiginthecorn]

My how technology has changed. Back in 1996, all communication to the village was by ham radio. Now, they have satellite internet. Here’s his reply:
“Yes, they hang it to dry. Then, before chewing it, they wet it and roll the flat leaves in the grown up charcoal dust of their fires. it is then shook out and formed into the chaw that fits in their mouths. Some of them have huge chaws.

 

[craiginthecorn]

I asked if he had seen any instances of mouth cancer among these indigenous people, and his somewhat unskilled answer was “No”. The missionaries provide basic medical care to the village, but don’t claim to be skilled physicians. He’s now about 60 and has lived in the village virtually his entire life.

 

[briarbuda48]

Great thread, thank you for sharing.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Thanks Craig, great stuff. I had read about charcoal being mixed with tobacco by some tribes, but I wonder what that does for the chew or chaw.

I remember reading about the Yąnomamö in a sociology class back in college. Fascinating stuff. I remember a part where the researcher told the tribe that peanut butter was jars of poop, so they wouldn't eat their stash, but the tribe thought they were very odd, ha ha.

 

[jvnshr]

Great thread for sure, I enjoyed reading each single post.

 

[npod]

:clap:

This topic provided great google research. Thanks for posting.

 

[craiginthecorn]

Regarding the use of wood ash, I wonder if it might have to do with pH. The ash would be quite alkaline and would buffer the acidity of the leaf. In addition to making it more comfortable to chew, I think that might also reduce the nicotine absorption. I'm no chemist and have never chewed tobacco, so this is almost pure speculation on my part.

 

[cossackjack]

Wood ash is alkaline due to calcium carbonate (lime) & potassium hydroxide (wood lye), which would raise the intra-oral pH (more alkaline), buffer any acidity of the tobacco leaves, & ENHANCING nicotine absorption across the oral membranes.
The nicotine molecule contains two basic nitrogen atoms, resulting in the overlapping occurrence of three different species at different pH values (pKa values of 3.12 and 8.02). The following main species are present at the following ranges of pH values:

(i) pH 8: fully deprotonated (also referred to as “unbound” nicotine)
Uptake (absorption)

Despite some claims of the occurrence of specific nicotine transport proteins in cell membranes, passive diffusion is considered as the main route of nicotine absorption. Since the protonated forms, i.e. species (i) and (ii) above, cannot cross cell membranes, the fraction of absorbed nicotine and/or the speed of uptake may be determined by pH, with high pH values shifting the equilibrium towards fully deprotonated (unbound) nicotine that is absorbed by passive diffusion along its concentration gradient.
Wood ash enhances the oral absorption of other physiologic & psychoactive plant alkaloids when added to chewing cocaine leaves, & chewing Betel Nut.

 

[9mmpuffer]

I prefer to smoke it and buy an umbrella

 

[craiginthecorn]

The folks in this village were happy simply to have clothing to shield them from the ever present biting no-see-ums and mosquitos. This girl found an even better parasol than the tobacco leaves.

 

[mso489]

Forums is a textbook.

 

[workman]

Love this.