Perique

Perique (/pəˈriːk/) is a type of tobacco from Saint James Parish, Louisiana, known for its strong, powerful, and fruity aroma.

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.

A farmer named Pierre Chenet is credited with first turning this local tobacco into what is now known as Perique in 1824 through the labor-intensive technique of pressure-fermentation.

It is reported by John C. Leffingwell, PhD, an authority on tobacco, that Perique is based on a variety of Red Burley (USDA Type 72) leaf.

Approximately once a month the pressure is released, and each of the torquettes is worked by hand to permit a little air back into the tobacco.

But interest in the variety rebounded, and as of May 2017, the number of growers planting Perique tobacco commercially in Saint James Parish has risen to 25.