Tabaco cubano!
Not surprisingly, it is the Cuban cigar that comes out on top of the products most coveted by visitors to the island. Did you know that France was the second largest consumer of Havana cigars in the world, just after Spain and ahead of Switzerland and Great Britain, with nearly 10 million cigars consumed per year! However, in order to avoid disappointment, caution is advised when buying cigars in Cuba. Cigars are frequently offered in the street, and at prices that defy all competition. Do not trust them! When they are not simply fake, they may have been stolen from one of the island's tobacco factories, and may not have passed all the required quality controls. Moreover, the Cuban customs, whose mission is to ensure the prestige of the national production, has the right to demand an invoice from the store. If you are asked for this invoice and you cannot provide it, the customs officers have the right to confiscate your merchandise. As a reminder, you can only take 50 cigars in your luggage.
In order to ensure quality shopping, here are some brands and calibers of prestigious Cuban cigars to remember: Cabinet Royal Selection, Cohiba Lanceros, Cohiba Especial, Montecristo n°1, Montecristo n°4, Hoyo de Monterrey, Sir Winston, Montecristo Habana Especial, Montecristo Joyitos, Partagas and Trinidad. How can you be sure you are buying an authentic product? There are three elements to take into account, which have been mandatory on the boxes since 1912 and guarantee the authenticity of the merchandise. First, the cigar box must have a green band representing the national coat of arms of the country and a view of the plantations. Secondly, the box must bear inscriptions in several languages (Spanish, French, German and English) summarizing the contents of the box, flanked by the Habanos logo indicating the origin of the tobacco, itself preceded by a stylized representation of the tobacco leaf under which the inscription Unidos desde 1492 must appear. Finally, the bottom of the box must be decorated with the words Hecho en Cuba . As an indication, a Cohiba Lancera should not cost you more than 1 €, that is to say 25 € for the box. As for the quality of the tobacco, trust your sense of smell! If it is possible to get cigars almost everywhere on the island, the factories of the valley of Viñales are good addresses. In Havana, the fabricas are good places to buy(Upmann, La Corona, Partagás, Romeo y Julietta) at official prices. The Casa del Habano store(Habana Vieja but also Varadero) is also recommended.
To learn more about tobacco in general and cigars in particular, refer to Didier Houvenaghel's remarkable book: Le Cigare (Gerfaut editions - May 2005). The Internet site www.museedufumeur.net is also a mine of information, as is the famous magazine Havanoscope, an expert on Cuban cigars but perhaps a little pointed for novices.
Rum and other Cuban delicacies
What better way to accompany a good cigar than with a delicious Cuban rum? Of course, rum is the other star product of the island. And rum lovers are not mistaken: Cuban production enjoys a worldwide reputation and some of its bottles are among the best you can find on the market! Renowned for its sweet and light notes as well as for its lower alcohol content (around 38° when the rest of the Caribbean easily exceeds 40°), it will seduce the most sensitive palates. Main ingredient of the emblematic cocktails of the island - the political Cuba Libre and the freshly minted Mojito -, it perfumes with subtlety the compositions of the bartenders of Havana and elsewhere. But Cuban rum can also be drunk dry or on the rocks!
If a 3 year old rum will be sufficient for a cocktail, prefer bottles older than 5 years for a pure tasting. If Havana Club has radiated over the world for decades - you can visit the Museo del Ron in the Habana Vieja district -, you should know that many other very good quality rums are produced on the island: Mulata, Santiago de Cuba (Anejo), Legendario (Elixir de Cuba) being the most famous. Be careful! If the Cuban customs authorize three bottles per person to leave the country, the French will only let in one bottle of more than 22°!
Cigars, rum... All weneed is coffee and we have a winning trio! If Europe is not used to drink Cuban coffee, this is not due to a lack of quality but quantity! Cuban coffee is tasty but rare, making it a precious commodity. The production is used to feed the local consumption and it is easy to find in the stores of the island. The Cubita brand offers a nice packaging to make gifts to your loved ones!
Although its production is very localized, Cuban chocolate is no less delicious. To find a few bars or powdered bags, you will have to go to Baracoa, where chocolate is the specialty! It is not sure that the bars can withstand the tropical heat, so prefer powdered chocolate
Another Cuban sweet: honey! You can find it on the farm stalls of the island's markets, from Havana to Santiago de Cuba, generally for 2 to 5 €. Natural and without any additives, it will surely convert even the most reluctant. Although it is not edible, we should mention here the mariposa, also called "jasmine butterfly", a flower native to India that grows so well in Cuba that it has become one of its symbols. It is easily found in perfume, lotion and eau de toilette.
Crafts, trinkets and paint
If Cuban handicrafts are not particularly exceptional, you will nevertheless be able to find some trinkets, pottery, jewels and other compositions made of recycled materials of a fairly good quality. Some craft markets located in the capital will make travelers happy, like the one in Havana harbor, a stone's throw from the San Francisco de Paula church. Here, as in other markets on the island, one can find wooden or coconut sculptures representing monkeys, birds and other exotic animals, as well as ceramic objects such as plates, ashtrays, cups...
Recurrent in Cuba are objects born of recuperation, a true Cuban national sport. Thus we will find gadgets made from beer cans, jewelry made from shells or melon seeds, dolls made from fabric scraps. For those who are interested, some stalls offer ritual objects and very complete books related to santería. Of course, you can also buy a lot of little tourist trinkets with the image of Cuba, which are always very appreciated as small gifts: magnets, mugs, key rings... Havana is a real eldorado in this respect. You can find all the vintage and revolutionary imagery specific to Cuba: Che Guevara or Havana Club t-shirts, license plates, Cuban flags, old postcards... There is no lack of choice. More sociological, a copy of the Cuban constitution! Finally, a great Cuban classic: the guayabera, this white and ample cotton shirt typical of the island. It can be found everywhere. The traditional model? Pearly buttons, two pleats on the front, three pleats on the back, two breast pockets and two pockets on the belly
Cuba is famous for its painting. Throughout the island, you will find many art galleries, Havana being the city where you will find the most. Although controlled by the regime, the production of paintings is strongly encouraged by the latter, allowing buyers to make some acquisitions without breaking the bank. The handicraft market of Habana Vieja is a recommended address in this respect, as well as the numerous art galleries of the colonial city of Trinidad, where local artists are honored.
Music
If you are a musician, Cuba is in many ways a blessed land. If music is present everywhere and all the time on the island, it is indeed the region of Oriente which is the cradle of the Cuban music. Thus, Santiago de Cuba celebrates every year a carnival which counts among the most famous of the Caribbean. It is thus there that you will have to go if you wish to unearth authentic Cuban musical instruments! Of course, the question of the size of a musical instrument, for the return trip, arises. From the giant drum to the maracas or the guiro, there is a lot of room! In any case, a short tour of the Museo El Carnaval (Calle Heredia) is worth it. There are instrument vendors at the entrance, as well as the booth of the artist who designs the carnival posters every year.
If you are not a musician but rather a music lover, head to the Artex and Casas de la Música stores! Don't hesitate to ask for advice from the salespeople, who will be happy to guide you in your search for CDs and vinyls, and even make you listen to them. If MP3s are circulating in Cuba, the only way to bring back music is still the CD. All the street artists and bars sell theirs, and in the music stores, you can only find CDs and a few vinyls. The development of digital technology has facilitated the production of CDs by small local bands of good quality. If you are a music lover, don't hesitate to bring some back to discover (and spread) the musical abundance of the island! All styles of Latin music are played and listened to on the island: són, salsa, reggaeton, rumba... Musical productions from the rest of the Caribbean and from the United States are also very popular among Cuban youth, and you will have no trouble finding CDs of more modern music here and there. If you decide to buy your CDs on the street, ask to try them first!
