Venezuelan Chimo

[casechopper]

Has anyone here ever heard of or used Venezuelan Chimo? Pronounced Chee-moo
It's an oral tobacco product thats made by boiling chopped tobacco leaves, then straining the leaf particles out and boiling down what's left until it's a thick black paste (the texture seems to be about like vaseline). It's then packaged in little cans (about the size of 5-6 quarters stacked on top of eachother). About 10 kilos of tobacco makes ~1 kilo of chimo.

I wonder what tsna's would be like in something like this? It's not really regulated and many of the manufacturers are just mom and pop home based businesses that sell it in unmarked containers.

My wifes family is from the part of Venezuela where this is used and I'm thinking of picking some up when we go down there in December. She says that pretty much all bodegas in the North West of Venezuela sell the stuff and it's very popular. I haven't, however, found any way of ordering any here in the USA.

From what I've heard it's supposed to be extremely strong on the nicotine front and is used mainly by campesinos (farm/ranch workers).


Sam

[snusgetter]

How exactly is it used?

[casechopper]

You form a pea sized ball out of the paste with your fingers and then put it on the inside of your bottom teeth (on the tongue side). Then you just keep it there and spit out the saliva until it's all gone or you get tired of it and rinse it out.

While it's in you'll look like you dripped used motor oil into the bottom of your mouth. It's black and gets all over your teeth so it's not too pretty

My wife says that there are people who get drunk from using it but from my experience with tobacco I can't see how that would happen. More likely they're using chimo while drinking heavy amounts of alcohol and she just didn't notice the drinking part.

[snusgetter]

I can see why it would be used mainly by campesinos (farm/ranch workers).
When you're out-and-about shoveling sh*t (so to speak), it's just part of the landscape (in more ways than two)!

I believe I'll pass but please keep us informed.

[bipolarbear1968]

I wonder if Tom would be interested....

[snusgetter]

In the shovelin' sh*t or in the Chimo?

[casechopper]

Here's a picture of what a can would look like.

[snusgetter]

Get the actual recipe, add some flavors, and you can start your own mom-and-pop business.

You betcha!!


Nice can.

[casechopper]

It's also the first listing on this tobacco fact sheet that has a whole bunch of different interesting oral tobacco products from around the world listed.
http://cancercontrol.cancer.gov/tcrb...ed10-23-02.pdf

[snusgetter]

Tootsie Roll, anyone?

Don't let the AT freaks see these...

btw, they could be called Tootsie Chimos!!
Or TootsChimos!!

[snusgetter]

This is sounding more and more interesting ...
Is it available anywhere in the US?

Chimó

BRAND NAMES: San Carleño, El Tovareño, El Tigrito, El Sabroso, El Gran Búfalo, El Dragón, El Morichal

COMMON NAMES: None GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION OF USE: Venezuela

PRODUCT CONSTITUENTS: Tobacco leaf, sodium bicarbonate, brown sugar, ashes from the Mamón tree (Meliccoca bijuga), and vanilla and anisette flavoring. The ingredients vary according to the region within Venezuela.

HOW USED: A small amount of Chimó is placed between the lip or cheek and the gum and left there for some time, usually 30 minutes. The mixture of Chimó and saliva is spit out.

WHO USES: Children, teenagers, unskilled workers in rural and urban areas. Chimó use has become fashionable in the last 5 years among urban teenagers, regardless of social and economic status.

PROCESSING / MANUFACTURING: Tobacco leaves are crushed and boiled for several hours, starch and fiber are discharged. The remaining portion becomes a concentrated product, 10 kilos of tobacco becomes one kilo of “Pasta”. For maturation it is then placed in natural containers, or “taparas”(the dried fruit from Tapara tree), or wrapped in banana leaves. The matured paste is “seasoned” with other ingredients, listed above. Finally packaged in small tins or candy-like wrapped cylinders. Most factories are small.

from http://cancercontrol.cancer.gov/tcrb...ed10-23-02.pdf

[casechopper]

I haven't found anyone selling it. That's why I'm planning on giving it a try when I'm down there. If it's good I may bring back a bunch of it.

[tom502]

I might try it.

[snusgetter]

You going there anytime soon?

[casechopper]

I'll be going down there in December for my SIL's wedding.