ChinaVoodoo
Moderator
Someone with credentials needs to apply with grin-ca for a sample of Nostrano-avanone.
China Voodoo 2018 Air-cured and Rajangan
- Thread starter ChinaVoodoo
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Someone with credentials needs to apply with grin-ca for a sample of Nostrano-avanone.
DistillingJim
Well-Known Member
Hang on, is Nostrano Avanone one of the lost descendants? I thought they were lost?
Alpine
Moderator
As far as I know, the old sub strains of Nostrano are lost, at least here, and only Nostrano Gentile is still cultivated. But it’s possible that some seed bank around the world still has some of the original seeds. Nostrano is listed in ars-grin USA but the listing is inactive. Maybe the Canadian institute has some viable seeds from the old days.
pier
pier
Levi Gross
Well-Known Member
Looks nice China. Healthy plants!!
ChinaVoodoo
Moderator
I have mentioned it a number of times. I know a couple guys, including myself have been denied access to seed. I figure ARS-GRIN should acquire it.
http://pgrc3.agr.ca/cgi-bin/npgs/html/tax_acc.pl?25309
The 1979 donation date scared people off at first, for two reasons. One, (according to what we know) it should predate that. Second, what if the seed is actually that old.
To the first concern, 1979 appears to be the year that the Ogylvie research station closed and donated all their seed stock to GRIN-CA. There is no indication of when the research station initially received it, also, it IS possible that we don't know everything about the history of this strain. To the second concern, well... It's only getting older, and we don't know if they have been renewing the stock.
I wouldn't mind Brasile Beneventano seed either.
Alpine
Moderator
Ive asked a friend for Beneventano, when she will go back home ( in Benevento) I should have some seeds to share. This might take a few months tough.
pier
pier
DistillingJim
Well-Known Member
Whats Brasile Beneventano?
Alpine
Moderator
Another Italian traditional (and disappearing) tobacco strain. It was once a common toscano filler, treated in a peculiar way that involved immersion of the leaves in warm water in order to obtain an acetic fermentation (IIRC). Like Nostrano, it is still cultivated in its original province, but less year after year. It is a “younger” strain than Nostrano, dating back only a couple hundred years ( more or less)
pier
pier
If a Toscano cigar is the strength you get after soaking the leaf in water, then that variety must be some ferocious stuff to start with.
Bob
Bob
Alpine
Moderator
Bob, the leaves are harvested, piled for 24 hours then hung in strings and let turn yellow. Once yellowed, small hands of tobacco are briefly (just a few seconds) immersed in lukewarm water and piled again. The piles are left to ferment for 48 hours, then re-piled in inverted order (leaf point out, lower leaves up, inner leaves on the exterior) and left to ferment for another 48 hours. Leaf mass can reach 60 deg C during this phase. After this treatment, the leaves are dark brown, and are dried on strings as per any other dark air tobacco.
Beneventano was added to toscanos to lower (I suppose) the pH of the fire cured Kentucky (THAT is the ferocious stuff!) but it is now almost abandoned due to the high costs of processing, that involves a lot of hand labor.
In some other area outside the Benevento province tobacco was air cured the usual way, much like Nostrano.
pier
ps if some of you guys wants to try “infuocatura” I believe any dark air tobacco works but if you want the original strain you’ll have to wait a few months.
Beneventano was added to toscanos to lower (I suppose) the pH of the fire cured Kentucky (THAT is the ferocious stuff!) but it is now almost abandoned due to the high costs of processing, that involves a lot of hand labor.
In some other area outside the Benevento province tobacco was air cured the usual way, much like Nostrano.
pier
ps if some of you guys wants to try “infuocatura” I believe any dark air tobacco works but if you want the original strain you’ll have to wait a few months.
ChinaVoodoo
Moderator
The website where I read about it is actually totally gone, unfortunately.
DistillingJim
Well-Known Member
Are you growing it this year Pier?
Alpine
Moderator
Nope D.jim I’m waiting for my friend to bring me some seeds directly from Benevento.
Try this ChinaV, but you have to google translate:
http://www.rivistadiagraria.org/articoli/anno-2016/i-tabacchi-greggi-italiani-2/
pier
Try this ChinaV, but you have to google translate:
http://www.rivistadiagraria.org/articoli/anno-2016/i-tabacchi-greggi-italiani-2/
pier
Alpine
Moderator
Edit: all this information is gathered from various websites and conversations with my friend. Some infos are a hundred years old! As of today, there is an attempt to resurrect Beneventano much like has been done with Nostrano a few years ago.
pier
pier
ChinaVoodoo
Moderator
I'm definitely interested in trying to do different curing methods. Not to try to find an easy way. Mostly for curiosity's sake.
Alpine, your post with the explanation is very helpful. And also, thank you for the link.
Edit: I'm looking now. Italians like to use script-fonts, don't they?
Alpine, your post with the explanation is very helpful. And also, thank you for the link.
Edit: I'm looking now. Italians like to use script-fonts, don't they?
Alpine
Moderator
Script (or italic..!) fonts are for quotes. Never noticed if in other countries script fonts are used less frequently... i’ll Take a closer look from now on. Thanks ChinaV! And, if you will ever try infocatura at home, please keep us informed!
pier
pier
ChinaVoodoo
Moderator
This is very densely hung. My sticks hold 70 leaves in 4'
Like ChinaVoodoo, I am very interested in trying different curing methods to see what it does to tobacco.
Pier, if you can get seeds from this strain I would be very interested in trying it
I have read the link you provide us, but there are some points that I did not understand correctly... Is there only one strain of Benevento cultivated in different places ? or are they different strains ?
If I understand correctly, the high temperature fermentation process (with soaking the leaves in water) is used to cure rapidly the leaves in a country where the climate wouldn't allow correct air curing ?
As quoted, it seems to produce lower quality leaves ("without any elasticity, without good aroma, but the practice is carried out to facilitate the drying of the leaves in a climate so wet in autumn and for the deficency of good premises").
It may be better to just air cure it then kiln it ?
Pier, if you can get seeds from this strain I would be very interested in trying it
I have read the link you provide us, but there are some points that I did not understand correctly... Is there only one strain of Benevento cultivated in different places ? or are they different strains ?
If I understand correctly, the high temperature fermentation process (with soaking the leaves in water) is used to cure rapidly the leaves in a country where the climate wouldn't allow correct air curing ?
As quoted, it seems to produce lower quality leaves ("without any elasticity, without good aroma, but the practice is carried out to facilitate the drying of the leaves in a climate so wet in autumn and for the deficency of good premises").
It may be better to just air cure it then kiln it ?
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