The Snuff Tobacco Reference

Perique Tobacco

Perique tobacco is a processed tobacco leaf product that has as its attributes a distinctive and strong flavor profile and a black color. Perique is raised and manufactured in Louisiana historically from either Burley or Virginia type cultivars in a process that fundamentally involves liquoring the cured tobacco leaves, stripping these of their mid ribs, twisting together multiple such by hand, and subjecting a large quantity of these twists called torquettes jointly to a pressing for a duration of about six months as to ferment them, during this time the twists being occassionally released as to be rearranged and reviewed. Perique was in former times further manufactured into tobacco carrots, and has been used for smoking, chewing, and snuff purposes. There is much lore about Perique tobacco, but its manufacture in Louisiana predates the tobacco farmer named Pierre Chenet who is popularly credited with its invention, having been known to earlier colonists whether French or Spanish.

References

  1. Report on the Culture and Curing of Tobacco in the United States. Joseph Buckner Killebrew. Culture and Curing of Tobacco in Louisiana. Pages 80–87. 1884. Digitised version
  2. Land Policy Review. Perique: Fact and Legend. Robert W. Harrison. Volume 10; Number 2; Pages 16–18. 1947. Digitised version
  3. Tobacco: Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce. E. R. Billings. Perique Tobacco. Pages 390–392. 1875. Digitised version