perique tobacco plant

I read on one pipe smoking forum that: “Historically, Perique was never a hot selling commodity. Once the leaves have partially dried but are still supple (usually less than 2 weeks in the barn), any remaining dirt is removed and the leaves are moistened with water and stemmed by hand. The name is not misleading: instead of used as a condiment, Perique is the main tobacco in this mixture. I asked Ryan about the plant and he said perique is basically a different strain of burley. For the most part, those are all areas in or around St. James Parish. However, for clarity sake, there is a tobacco leaf product marketed as "Perique" tobacco. One of the visible differences is that with a burley, the top leaves stand up while on a Perique plant they droop down. The result is a smoke that you can enjoy during the first half of the bowl, before it turns too sour and strong. They plant, harvest and process the last 12 acres of perique in the world. Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the Nicotiana genus and the Solanaceae (nightshade) family, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of the tobacco plant. The Tobacco Institute says perique has been shipped out of New Orleans for more than 250 years and is considered to be one of America's first export crops. Chenet’s method involved rolling up the leaves in linen and then wrapping it with rope and keep twisting it to apply pressure. (Part 2), The Case of the Confused Peterson…. The finished tobacco is dark brown - nearly black - very moist with a fruity, slightly vinegary aroma. (That’s the opinion of the writer, not Mark Ryan.). Jade's Perique Tobacco Liqueur was released in 2006 following many months of careful development. The liqueur is distilled in the Combier distillery in Saumur, France. Albizzia Julibrissen (Silk Tree Mimosa) Seeds USD 4.95 – USD 9.95 Select options; Anthemis Nobilis (Roman Chamomile) Seeds USD 2.50 – USD 12.95 Select options; Aloe (Mixed Species) Seeds USD 2.25 – USD 4.25 Select options Ryan also said it’s not just the microbes in the soil, but those in the air and in the walls of the aging room that makes a difference. Some have suggested that its “rubbed with fruit mash or puree. Ryan said he has bought tobacco from Canada, Kentucky and Tennessee. Its sweet-scented, highly ornamental flowers are white to pink and are pollinated by bees and butterflies. Many of these are responsible for the flavors of fruits and are often found in wine.[3]. Rare and famous Louisiana tobacco known for its dark, black color and unique flavor when cured. but probably the biggest factor is the sauce that each blender adds to their blend.”. is added to a mild Virginia. The leaf is both stretchy and springy. When the Acadians made their way into this region in 1776, the Choctaw and Chickasaw tribes were cultivating a variety of tobacco with a distinctive flavor. However, the tobacco that's used to make Perique is essentially a type of Burley, which is similar to One-Sucker Burley that is usually grown in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Canada. [5] Following this, Tabacalera released other cigars using Perique tobacco in 2016: the Tabacalera Gran Reserva, the Don Juan Urquijo Perique, and the 1881 Perique Bold, which is the same as the 1881 Perique but finished in a dark Maduro wrapper.[6]. Loose tobacco for rolling is sold by the same company in black pouches. Tobacco, common name of the plant Nicotiana tabacum and, to a limited extent, Aztec tobacco (N. rustica) and the cured leaf that is used, usually after aging and processing in various ways, for smoking, chewing, snuffing, and extraction of nicotine. Perique is an offshoot of Burley that has become unique by being grown in an area of St. James Parish called the “Golden Triangle”. 24, No. These cigars use Louisiana Perique alongside Brazilian and Philippine filler tobacco. I won’t call those lies but I will say all three of those statements are filled with misinformation and misinterpretations of the facts about perique. Our genuine Saint James perique whole leaf tobacco is grown and cured by a small family farm in rural Saint James Parish that has been producing high quality barrel-cured perique pipe tobacco for generations. Join our friendly community that shares tips and ideas for gardens, along with seeds and plants. Perique. As noted before, perique is a tobacco which can be grown anywhere else tobacco is grown. Free shipping for many products! However, for clarity sake, there is a tobacco leaf product marketed as "Perique" tobacco. These seedlings are planted in mid-March and grow for three months and once mature, produce leaves more than 18-inches long which are harvested in June. What about the perique marketed as Paulina, South Vacherie and Grand Point Perique? Perique Tobacco Seeds 'Perique' has leaves that are medium-sized, glossy in texture, gummy and tough but have fine fiber with small stems. Is it “real” Perique? The spring of 2005 seemed to be the end of St. James Perique for pipe tobacco blends. Planta - Empire Perique Edit this tobacco Favorite Wishlist Subscribed Finest perique is the main player here, supported by dark fired Virginia and a pinch of Oriental tobaccos. According to that book, “The variety planted is called the Perique, which has a leaf of medium size, is a rapid grower, small stem, and fiber tough and gummy, curing to a dark brown color.”, If you go to victoryseeds.com, a source for tobacco plant seeds, they describe it as “perique tobacco (the plant) is a specific, unique, variety, which you can grow anywhere that tobacco can be grown.”. Louisiana Perique is the rarest and more precious tobacco in the entire world. Once the leaves have partially dried but are still supple (usually less than 2 weeks in the barn), any remaining dirt is removed and the leaves are moistened with water and stemmed by hand. Tobacco experts generally point to three qualities that make perique distinct: the St. James soil, the perique seed and the fermentation process. Ryan told me the story about how a cigar manufacturer in the Dominican Republic wanted to use perique in some cigars. While perique can be grown anywhere other tobaccos are grown, don’t expect the tobacco to have the same flavor characteristics as that grown in St. James Parish. Nicotiana tabacum is a sticky, thick-leaved perennial that can reach up to six feet in height. There was always a big surplus of it so there would be no need to try to adulterate tobacco to make a faux Perique. 'Perique' tobacco (the plant) is a specific, unique, variety which you can grow anywhere that tobacco can be grown. Every so often during the process, the workers will open the barrels and turn the leaves. He’s planted 12 acres of his farm with perique tobacco, and those 12 acres contain the bulk of the world’s supply. For decades now, Perique has consisted of a blend of tobacco that isn't entirely grown in St. James Parish and is supplemented with similar tobacco from other areas. At one time, many families just stopped growing perique because they could grow other crops and make more money. A farmer named Pierre Chenet is credited with first turning this local tobacco into what is now known as Perique in 1824 through the technique of pressure-fermentation. Ryan said the rich, fertile delta soil, the moisture in the water table from the Mississippi River, the climate and the microbes in the soil and air, all goes into making St. James Perique the tobacco that it is. In 1776, the Choctaw and Chickasaw tribes were … As I wrote earlier, the environmental and soil conditions are vital in what makes perique taste and smell the way it does. To make Perique, the tobacco is pressed and fermented for a year. Nothing is added to the tobacco. Pierre Chenet's grand daughter, Coralie Decareau, married Celestin Poche in February 1829, and the Poche family has been involved in the cultivation and processing of Perique tobacco through current times. Perique is a rare, slow burning tobacco grown and processed in St. James Parish, Louisiana. In 1776, the Choctaw and Chickasaw tribes were cultivating a variety of tobacco with a distinctive flavor. Nicotiana Tabacum (Perique) Tobacco Seeds USD 2.25 – USD 49.99 Select options; Related products. [2] The fruity aroma is the result of hundreds of volatile compounds created by anaerobic fermentation of the tobacco. I have smoked pure, unadulterated Perique. With the help of his five sons – Percy Jr., Leo, Ray, Brian and Teddy – he raises tomatoes, bell peppers, sugar-cane and perique tobacco. Hardy to Zone 8, this is the preferred species of the tobacco industry. I found a reference to perique on line in a book named “Tobacco Leaf” J.B. Killebrew, AM., PH.D and Herbert Myrick, B.S. These cigarettes are marketed in a black box (Perique Rich Robust) and in a gray box (Perique Rich.) Perique is a spice tobacco, usually used in Virginia blends. What gets me are all the myths, mysteries and misinformation surrounding Perique tobacco which persists to this day even though numerous articles have been written explaining it: (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); “Perique fell out of favor because at one time there was an overabundance of it on the market.”, “Perique isn’t a tobacco, it’s just a process and any tobacco can be used to make perique.”, “You can get perique made anywhere and it will taste the same.”. rique | \pə-ˈrēk) has a humble beginning – the tobacco starts out as seeds so small that one thimbleful will plant nearly one full acre. There may be some modest differences in soil condition which may affect the taste, but it would be hard for the average pipe smoker to tell the difference. A good dose of Perique (or should I say Green River Burley?) The answer here is a qualified no. It has a dark, oily appearance, when cured and a taste of pepper and figs. Perique /pəˈriːk/ is a type of tobacco from Saint James Parish, Louisiana, known for its strong, powerful, and fruity aroma.  Is the tobacco being processed cased, topped or treated with anything other than water? Often considered the truffle of pipe tobaccos by connoisseurs, perique is used as a component of various blended pipe tobaccos, as many people consider it too strong to be smoked pure. According to “The Perique Tobacco Industry of St. James Parish, Louisiana: A Wold Monopoly.” published by the New York Botanical Garden Journal Economic Botany. Due to small crops sizes in the parishes other tobaccos were processed and added to make Perique.  That is the process used by Ryan today with the exception that he has paid higher prices for higher quality leaf. PappyJoe's World © 2020 All Right Reserved. Is Perique made in places other than St. James Parish? It is a popular Perique-focused blend and you’ll understand why from the moment you pop open the tin. Our history in growing tobacco Our earliest ancestors who settled in Virginia about 1630 and later moved to North Carolina in the early 1700’s were believed to … Perique is a spice tobacco, usually used in Virginia blends. And they do it all by hand. The plants grow to 5' or more and will produce 18-22 leaves per plant. The owners of L.A. Poche in St. James Parish, Louisiana, didn’t buy any tobacco to process that year, and they planned to sell their existing tobacco inventory and shut down the last surviving perique processing facility. The temperature in the curing sheds sometimes exceeds 38 °C (100 °F), and no work is done inside the sheds while the tobacco is being fired. A tobacco plant at the Percy Martin family farm. Martin says some scientists believe St. James Parish sits on top of a mineral deposit that gives the tobacco its robust and pungent flavor, but he doesn’t know if … They basic method used today wasn’t introduced until the early part of the 20th century. The leaves are then rolled int… Distiller Ted Breaux has been distilling Perique Liqueur de Tabac, a liqueur from Perique tobacco since 2006. cane. I have smoked it in a wide variety of blends which container Perique. At one time, the fresh and moist perique was also chewed, but none is now sold for this purpose. (Part 1). Are there any pipe tobaccos sold that are “Pure” Perique – tobacco grown in St. James Parish, processed and not blended with other tobacco? Pierre Chenet, is often credited with creating the Perique process by “borrowing” it from local Native Americans. If you change those, then you change the flavor of the tobacco. Saint James Perique tobacco leaf is quite rare. Extended exposure to air degrades the particular character of perique. Those conditions are not naturally replicated anywhere else in the world. 'Perique' tobacco (the plant) is a specific, unique, variety which you can grow anywhere that tobacco can be grown. Perique– This is a unique tobacco. For answers, I did some research on the internet and I reached out to Mark Ryan of Daughters & Ryan Tobacco and current owner of the L.A. Poche Perique facility in St. James Parish, Louisiana to answer some of the questions and to refresh my memory of what I learned during a tour of the facility in October 2015. Pressure fermentation of tobacco was a process already known to the French and Spanish and according to the Economic Botany article, Chenet probably learned it from a Spanish family in the region. As of May 2017, the Perique marketed as `` Perique '' tobacco process themselves... Entire world bought tobacco from Saint James Parish and processed in St. Perique. Found mostly in blends in 2014, Philippine-based cigar manufacturer Tabacalera Incorporada created perique tobacco plant 1881 Perique a tobacco. Tribes were cultivating a variety of tobacco from Saint James Parish distilled in world... 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