Presentation and current production
the Larousse defines a cigar as "a small roll of tobacco leaves and fragments, intended to be smoked". Once the leaves have been rolled (in a spiral movement), the result is a cylinder with two ends: one is the "foot", which is what you light, and the other is the "head", which you cut and put in your mouth. A cigar can be consumed either by inhaling the smoke produced by combustion, or by simply holding it in the mouth. For optimum consumption, a good cigar should be neither too dry nor too damp, which is why they are kept in specially adapted humidifiers. If you're a smoker and you'd like to try a good Havana, you can visit the Cohiba Atmosphère lounge in Paris, for example, and indulge in a proper tasting session.
Etymologically, it would seem that the word cigar comes from the Spanish cigarro, which in turn comes from cigarra ("cicada" in Spanish) or from the Mayan word zicar, meaning "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 called Los Cigarrales, named after the frequent invasions of cicadas!
Historically, tobacco began to be grown in other parts of the Caribbean from the mid-19th century, notably in Florida, during the first migrations of Cuban planters. Later, the Connecticut Valley (USA) also became an important production area. Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Honduras followed suit. In Cuba, 80% of current national production takes place 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. In the vegas (tobacco plantations) in the valleys surrounding Pinar del Río, some 40,000 tonnes of tobacco are produced every year! Although the tobacco industry is a state monopoly, small, independent farmers are responsible for its cultivation. Each farmer is entitled to 60 hectares, with a maximum yield of 40,000 tobacco plants per hectare! However, most of the revenue generated by this production goes to the State. Cuban annual production is estimated at 300 million cigars, half of which are exported!
Biography of a Havana
Before enjoying a fine cigar, the discerning smoker must be patient: from sowing to tasting, 171 stages and several years punctuate the life of a Havana! The vegueros - farmers who specialize in growing tobacco - take great care of the precious leaves, handing down 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, then transplanted into meticulously prepared beds. From that moment on, the vegueros don't have a moment's rest: caring for tobacco plants is a job as demanding as cultivating vines.
Leaf removal. Harvesting takes three months, from the end of December to the end of March. Each tobacco plant undergoes several successive harvests: first the lower ones (which are used to make the filler, the inside of the cigar), then the upper ones (larger and providing superb wrappers, the cigars' outer wrapper). The importance of this leaf-thinning stage 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 out to dry in vast sheds known as casas de tabaco. The drying process, which lasts around two months, allows the leaves to wither. Throughout this fermentation stage, the challenge is to rid the leaves of nitrogenous matter and resins, while at the same time setting bacteria in motion, a bit like mold on cheese. Once the second fermentation is complete, the tobacco bundles are drained. This is where the peeling machines come in. Their job is to tear the midrib from each leaf. Immediately after this stage, the leaves are stored in crates to begin a third fermentation, which can last several years! To fully appreciate these first three stages, head for the Viñales Valley: the village is surrounded as far as the eye can see by tobacco plantations open to visitors, such as Dalia and Millo.
Making Havana. For a puro, a pure Havana cigar, to take 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 from different tobacco varieties. It's worth mentioning that no fewer than five species are required for each cigar: three for the filler, one for the binder (which links the filler to the wrapper) and one for the wrapper. It's in the tabacaleras (tobacco factories) that the magic happens.
With a dexterity that commands respect, the torcedores (Havana rollers) perform their task at breakneck speed, rarely making a mistake of more than a tenth of a gram. They select the leaves, roll them, cut them and then assemble them in packs of 25 or 50. On average, a torcedor can make 120 to 150 havanes 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, graded by color and packed in cedar boxes. To witness this fascinating chapter in the life of a cigar, all you have to do is visit one of Cuba's many factories. Havana is home to the main ones, such as Partagás.
Preserving and humidifying Havana cigars. Like wine, puro improves with age. During the first two years of its life, it generally exudes a very small quantity of the oil known as the flower. Sheltered from the sun and cold, it undergoes a slow, discreet metamorphosis. With the right care, a good Havana can be kept for a good fifteen years, and even longer, depending on the cigar. For a little shopping, consider the official manufacturers(Upmann, La Corona, Partagás, Romeo y Julieta) as well as the Casa del Habano boutique(Habana Vieja but also Varadero), also recommended.
