Turkish Izmir / White Smyrna

[Hasse SWE]

Turkish izmir is called White Smyrna but does anyone know what white means?

Iam bit curious after that that I've seen that both smyrna and white smyrna should have been at the Swedish agricultural fields in the days when tobacco holdings was common here.

 

[deluxestogie]

Izmir and Smyrna are both the name of the same city. Smyrna is the older, Byzantine name, while Izmir is the modern name of the city. I have no information on a White Smyrna.

Bob

 

[Hasse SWE]

Thanks Bob I think I understand the whole thing. Here's how it stood in a text: white Smyrna (Turk izmir).

 

[Markw]

So is Smyrna #9 and Izmir Ozbas nearly the same plant or are there some differences due to where their are grown.

 

[Hasse SWE]

MarkW: Seems like more than I have the thoughts in that direction

 

[deluxestogie]

So is Smyrna #9 and Izmir Ozbas nearly the same plant or are there some differences due to where their are grown.

Both of these varieties were grown in the same place: Izmir (previously know as Smyrna). Izmir Ozbas literally means "parental Izmir." Smyrna #9 is a numbered varietal derived from some form of Izmir.

Having grown them side-by-side, I can attest that they are similar, but quite distinct plants that are easy to distinguish from one another (if you know what to look for).

Bob

 

[Markw]

Thanks for that Bob
How would you say the taste between the two plants differ or compare.does one have a stronger or more defined flavour.I ask the question because I would like to grow some different strains next year.

Markw

 

[deluxestogie]

Their general similarity in taste and aroma would suggest to me that growing one or the other (either one) would make more sense than growing both. Differences in spacing in the ground are more likely to lead to taste differences. Very close spacing yields a milder, somewhat more aromatic leaf, when compared to traditional American spacing.

Bob

 

[Markw]

Thanks Bob
The reason I have asked the question is I have managed to get some seed from Cyprus that they say is the seed that it used for Latakia. what would you recommend me to grow this against other Turkish seed so I could see if there is any difference, Some of this seed will be winging it's way over to your side of the pond next year for a independent assessment from one of our members.

 

[deluxestogie]

I guess I would plant Izmir Ozbas for comparison, and at similar spacing, but any Izmir variety would allow some comparison.

Bob

 

[Markw]

Thanks Bob
Would it be any good in planting Smyrna as well in my trials to see if there was any relationship

 

[deluxestogie]

Sure, if you have them.

Bob

 

[istanbulin]

Both of these varieties were grown in the same place: Izmir (previously know as Smyrna). Izmir Ozbas literally means "parental Izmir." Smyrna #9 is a numbered varietal derived from some form of Izmir.

Having grown them side-by-side, I can attest that they are similar, but quite distinct plants that are easy to distinguish from one another (if you know what to look for).

Bob

I agree with the opininon that they can be distinguished from one another but I'm sure that it's not easy if you don't grow them side by side. But it's nearly impossible to distinguish them by smoking, they taste really very similar, almost same (when grown in same conditions).

I want to add some basic linguistic information about the name of the city, Smyrna or İzmir. Actually the name of Smyrna didn't changed totally, it was just evolve into Turkish language. In Turkish it's impossible to read the words that have two consonant letters in a single syllable (because of the phonetic structure of the Turkish language). So people add a vowel before the word (it's common for foreign words - like stop and i-stop), so Smyrna become İsmirna, İsmir and finally İzmir.

Özbaş means " pure strain/race " as a word but the name of the İzmir Özbaş comes from the scientist Osman Özbaş who was an Agricultural Engineer (MSc.) and was the laboratory chief of an agricultural institute in Samsun (city). He bred strains that resistant to Blue Mold like İzmir Özbaş, Trakya Özbaş, Düzce Özbaş etc. There's very limited information about the researches he made because that time all tobacco related researches was carried in TEKEL Institutes by government so they were secret. Althought TEKEL sold to BAT, documents are still at the cosmic room and not released yet.

For the Cyprian Latakia, I wrote an quite short posts in different sections of the forum. Karpaz Peninsula (located at the North Cyprus) was the growing and also processing region of Cyprian Latakia (as I know there's no Latakia production at the South but I may be wrong). So the site www.tobaccoseed.co.uk was providing (not available now) a variety called " Yayla Karpaz " from the Karpaz region www.tobaccoseed.co.uk/Yayla_Karpaz1.html . If somebody you know purchased it when it was available, it worths to give it a try to see if it resembles İzmir varieties.

 

[Markw]

Interesting reading there Istanbulin and thanks for posting. I will give it a go next year if I can get hold of some Izmir and Smyrna seed.

 

[rainmax]

I want to add some basic linguistic information about the name of the city, Smyrna or İzmir. Actually the name of Smyrna didn't changed totally, it was just evolve into Turkish language. In Turkish it's impossible to read the words that have two consonant letters in a single syllable (because of the phonetic structure of the Turkish language). So people add a vowel before the word (it's common for foreign words - like stop and i-stop), so Smyrna become İsmirna, İsmir and finally İzmir.

Cool stuff. Thanks