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Latakia (Arabic: تبغ اللاذقية) is a specially prepared tobacco originally produced in Syria and named after the port city of Latakia. Now the tobacco is mainly produced in Cyprus. It is cured over a stone pine or oak wood fire, which gives it an intense smokey-peppery taste and smell. Too strong to smoke straight, it's used as a "condiment", especially in English and some American Classic blends. | Latakia (Arabic: تبغ اللاذقية) is a specially prepared tobacco originally produced in Syria and named after the port city of Latakia. Now the tobacco is mainly produced in Cyprus. It is cured over a stone pine or oak wood fire, which gives it an intense smokey-peppery taste and smell. Too strong to smoke straight, it's used as a "condiment", especially in English and some American Classic blends. | ||
==== Is Latakia really cured over smoldering camel dung? ==== | |||
'''Questions and Answers From G.L.Pease on Latikia''': "The only smoldering dung is that used to fuel the myths about Latakia. I wouldn't really care if the myth were reality, since I really love the stuff, but, it's important to understand that a variety of herbs and hardwoods are used in the processing of Latakia, not camel dung. No matter how many times I say this, the myth will probably be promulgated until the Sun stops revolving about the Earth... For more information on the wonderful, smoky weed, read my article, [[A Tale of Two Latakias]]. | |||
Q: What is generally meant by "English," "Scottish," and "Balkan" style? | |||
A: The definitions of these terms seem somewhat fluid, apart from the fact that all tobaccos bearing these appellations contain Latakia. To my mind, an English blend has a significant portion of Virginia backing up the Latakia, and orientals serve as a spice. A Scottish blend is similar to an English, with less Latakia, a more dominant Virginia character and, perhaps, little or no oriental leaf. A Balkan, on the other hand, is predominately based on oriental tobaccos and Latakia, and just enough Virginia is used to provide structure and balance. | |||
I don't claim this is right but it's the way I view things. | |||
'''Q: Which of your Latakia blends is the "fullest?"''' | |||
A: In order of decreasing "fullness," a difficult subjective description to nail down, I'd rank them, Abingdon, Odyssey, Blackpoint, Charring Cross, Raven's Wing, Samarra, Renaissance, Kensington, Caravan, Ashbury and Piccadilly. Of course, this is NOT the order of decreasing Latakia. Abingdon does have the most, followed by Odyssey, Charing Cross and Raven's Wing, if you add the percentages of the Syrian and the Cyprian. Piccadilly has the least. It's not the percentage of any particular ingredient that matters, but the interplay between the intensities of the flavors and aromas. Caravan has the highest percentage of Oriental tobaccos, which make quite a bold statement. Odyssey, Abingdon and Charing Cross are monsters of Latakia goodness. They're huge, but still quite complex, and each presents a surprising level of subtlety underneath its powerful exterior. | |||
'''Q: I've been smoking Virginia blends, and want to experiment with Latakia, but I don't seem to "get" them. What's wrong?''' | |||
A: Latakia blends can be truly remarkable, but it does take a little time to understand them, and some of the popular "English" blends may not be the best way to get an education. | |||
To start with, stay away from flavored Latakia mixtures, at least at first. The added flavors mask and hid the subtle beauty of some of the more delicate flavors of Latakia and oriental tobaccos. Stick with something that has a lot of natural flavor present, and smoke slowly. Try letting the pipe go out for a while, and then coming back to it. This intensifies the flavors, and gives your palate a chance to zero in on what you are going to be looking for in future smokes. It takes time for new tastes to be incorporated into your taste memory, which is an essential part of really enjoying any tobacco type. | |||
The same thing is true when going from Latakia blends to Virginias. Give your senses time to "get educated," and the rewards will be more thorough enjoyment of your pipe in the future! | |||
''From the [http://glpease.com/FAQ.html G.L.Pease FAQ], and used by permission.'' | |||
==== Availability of Syrian Latakia ==== | ==== Availability of Syrian Latakia ==== | ||
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Despite this apparent setback, other manufacturers such as McClelland and MacBaren have been able to continue to produce pipe tobacco blends containing Syrian Latakia. | Despite this apparent setback, other manufacturers such as McClelland and MacBaren have been able to continue to produce pipe tobacco blends containing Syrian Latakia. | ||
Sources: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latakia_%28tobacco%29 Wikipedia] | Sources: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latakia_%28tobacco%29 Wikipedia] and the [http://glpease.com/FAQ.html G.L.Pease FAQ] | ||
=== Orientals === | === Orientals === | ||