chimocero) may also prepare his own m6 or—more often 
—buy it from the evaporator (mermador), who special- 
izes in making m6 in quantity. This man, who may be 
located at a distance from the chimoero alitador (maker 
who adds flavoring, etc.), might be the grower as well, 
of the tobacco used. 
In the form offered for sale, m6 is also called chim6 
en Isti (ist, ystu) or crude chimo. ' 
‘lo make mo, fresh or dried tobacco leaves are steeped 
for hours or even days in near-boiling water, in a large 
copper or cast-iron cauldron. 
According to Wolf (71), a part of the tobacco cured 
in Venezuela today ‘‘is always utilized in making chim6 
and ‘tobacco rapé’ **. Cardona (17) quotes an informant 
from ‘Trujillo State who specifies the use of dry tobacco 
leaves. On the other hand, Dupouy (27) states that the 
whole plant is utilized—stems, leaves and roots—which 
seems to indicate use of green material. Valero (pers. 
comm.) asserts that, whenever possible, green leaves are 
employed, since use of dry leaves results in a_ bitter 
chimo; he adds that fresh leaves yield more juice. 
When the leaves are reduced to pulp and are ‘‘ex- 
hausted’’, the mass is removed from the cauldron and 
squeezed in a crude wooden press. This, according to 
Valero (pers. comm.) is a double grill of wooden strips 
tied together with vines, set on a frame of four forked 
uprights and weighted with stones. The tobacco juice 
drains into a receptacle underneath and is strained in 
a bag (costa) of coquiza (Mourcroya Humboldtiana) cord- 
ing. It is returned to the cauldron to be reduced further. 
M6 is put into a variety of containers for sale. The 
mo forthe chimé which I saw made was sent on the bus 
from Valera to Timotes in a gasoline can. 
Preparing m6 may be called the first of two stages in 
[ 5 | 
