Presentation and current production
"Small roll made up of leaves and fragments of tobacco, intended to be smoked" is the definition of a cigar according to the Larousse. Once the leaves are rolled (in a spiral movement), a cylinder is obtained with two ends: one is the "foot", which is the one that is lit, the other is the "head", which is cut and then brought to the mouth. A cigar can be consumed either by inhaling the smoke produced by the combustion, or by simply keeping it in the mouth. For optimal consumption, a good cigar should be neither too dry nor too humid, which is why they are kept in adapted humidifiers. If you are a smoker and you wish to taste a good Havana, you can for example go to the Cohiba Atmosphere lounge in the capital and indulge in a proper tasting session
Etymologically, it seems that the word cigar comes from the Spanish cigarro, which in turn comes from cigarra ("cicada" in Spanish) or from the Mayan word zicar, which means "to smoke". According to the historical chronicles of Hernández de Boncalo, who was the first to import tobacco seeds to Europe (1559), the first Spanish plantations were located in an area around Toledo, Los Cigarrales, so named because of the frequent invasions of cicadas!
Historically, tobacco began to be cultivated in other parts of the Caribbean from the middle of the 19th century, especially in Florida, during the first migrations of Cuban planters. Later, the Connecticut Valley (United States) also became an important production area. Then it was the turn of Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Honduras to turn to this crop. As for Cuba, 80% of the current national production is in five of the eight provinces where tobacco is grown (the country is home to fourteen provinces): Semi Vuelta, Partido, Remedios, Oriente and Vuelta Abajo, the latter, 150 km from Havana, being the stronghold of Cuban tobacco. There, in the vegas (tobacco plantations) of the valleys surrounding Pinar del Río, not far from 40,000 tons of tobacco are produced every year! Although the tobacco industry is a state monopoly, small independent farmers are responsible for growing it. Each farmer is entitled to own 60 hectares, with a maximum yield of 40,000 tobacco plants per hectare! However, most of the income generated by this production goes to the State. The annual Cuban production is estimated at 300 million Havanas, half of which is destined for export!
Biography of a Havana
Before being able to taste a good cigar, the demanding smoker must be patient: from sowing to tasting, 171 stages and several years punctuate the life of a Havana! The vegueros - farmers specialized in tobacco cultivation - surround the precious leaves with all their attention and pass on the secrets of the Havana from one generation to the next. Here are the main stages in the life of a Cuban cigar:
From sowing to harvesting. Some time before autumn arrives, the planters put the tiny tobacco seeds to germinate in nurseries. Six weeks later, 18-centimeter shoots are obtained and transplanted into the meticulously prepared beds. From this moment on, the vegueros do not have a moment's rest: taking care of the tobacco plants is a job as demanding as growing the vine.
Leaf removal. The harvesting work lasts for three months, from the end of December to the end of March. Each tobacco plant is harvested several times: first the lower ones (which will be used to make the filler, the inside of the cigar), then the upper ones (larger and providing superb wrappers, the cigar's outer wrapper). The importance of this stage of thinning out the leaves lies in the fact that the aroma of the harvested tobacco is directly linked to the quality of the sap retained by the leaves.
Curing. Once harvested, all the leaves are put to dry in large sheds: the casas de tabaco. The drying process, which lasts about two months, allows the leaves to wither. Throughout this fermentation stage, the challenge is to rid the leaves of nitrogenous materials and resins, while at the same time putting bacteria into action, much like the mold in a cheese. Once the second fermentation is complete, the tobacco bindings are put to drain. It is at this point that the peelers come into play. These workers have the task of tearing the central vein of each leaf. Right after this step, the leaves are stored in crates to begin a third fermentation, which can last several years! To best appreciate these first three steps, go to the Viñales Valley: the village is surrounded as far as the eye can see by tobacco plantations that are open to visitors, such as Dalia and Millo
Making Havana. In order for the puro, the pure Havana cigar, to obtain its final shape, it must pass through the artistic hands of the men and women who make them. Each cigar brand works with specialists who select the leaves of different tobacco varieties. It is worth mentioning that for each cigar, no less than five species are required: three for the filler, one for the binder (which links the filler to the wrapper) and one for the wrapper. It is in the tabacaleras (tobacco factories) that the magic happens.
With a dexterity that commands respect, the torcedores (tobacco rollers) perform their task at breakneck speed, rarely making mistakes of more than a tenth of a gram. They select the leaves, roll them, cut them and assemble them in packages of 25 or 50. On average, a torcedor can make 120 to 150 havanas a day, which are then stored in special cabinets for two to three weeks, the time needed for them to lose excess moisture. Finally, the puros are checked, classified by color and packed in cedar boxes. To witness this exciting chapter in the life of a cigar, all you have to do is visit one of the many factories in Cuba. Havana concentrates the main ones, like the one in Partagás, for example.
Conservation and humidification of Havana cigars. Like wine, puro improves with time. During the first two years of its life, it generally exudes a very small quantity of oil called the flower. Sheltered from the sun and cold, it undergoes a slow and discreet metamorphosis. By offering him adapted care, a good Havana can be preserved a good fifteen years, and even much more according to the cigar. For some shopping, think of the official manufacturers(Upmann, La Corona, Partagás, Romeo y Julietta) as well as the store Casa del Habano(Habana Vieja but also Varadero), also recommended.
