History and Production
The tobacco plant originated in South America. It is impossible to be exact about when it was introduced into Cuba, but most agree it was between 3000 and 2000 B.C. Tobacco was considered by the aborigines to be a miraculous medicine and represented an essential element in their religious, political and social ceremonies. It was a an integral part of their agriculture and an inseparable part of life.
When the Europeans first reached the Americas they were introduced to this plant. They quickly learnt that it was a source of great physical and spiritual pleasure and it was not long before the Old Continent developed a passion for it also. Spain was the first country to have the most smokers and the Spanish were also the first to be subjected to terrible punishments for smoking. The habit later spread on to Persia, Japan, Turkey and Russia, where the most cruel punishments were established. It is rather curious, that as bans on smoking gained ground, tobacco was increasingly used for medicinal purposes.
On April 11, 1717, King Philip V established a royal monopoly on the growing of tobacco in Cuba. This is remembered in history as the Estanco del Tabaco. Tobacco growers who opposed the onerous law, lost their lives. The monopoly remained in effect until June 23, 1817, when a royal decree removed the monopoly, allowing free trade between Cuba and the rest of the known world, as long as it was through Spanish ports.
Slaves were never used in tobacco growing. Sugarcane was not such a delicate crop, and slaves could be used in its cultivation and harvesting, but, as José Martí stated, tobacco plants had to be handled as carefully as if they were fine ladies. Immigrants from the Canary Islands worked in the tobacco fields, laying the foundations for a very select group - the Cuban farmers. The 19th century provided the final reaffirmation of Cuba’s tobacco production. In 1859, there were nearly 10,000 tobacco plantations and around 1300 cigar factories in the capital, however Cuba entered the 20th century in very precarious conditions indeed, due to the fact that it's devastating wars of independence had just ended.
The Cuban archipelago is in very close proximity to the Tropic of Cancer. Its western region, where the best tobacco in the world is grown, has a relative humidity of 79 percent, an average annual temperature of 25¼ C. (77¼ F.) and an especially favorable level rainfall.
In conjunction with these special climatic features, the chemical composition and the agricultural properties of the soil in Cuba’s tobacco growing areas couldn’t be bettered. Combine all this with the experience and care that Cuba’s tobacco workers put into each one of the many steps that go into making an Habano. They, too, are absolutely essential to maintain the product’s top quality.
The cultivation process starts in the seed bed, an area in which the seeds are planted under the very best conditions for their germination and later development.The seedlings remain here for 40 days, until they are mature enough to be transplanted to the fields. They are then planted in stages, beginning in October.
The leaves are picked between 45 and 80 days after planting and later taken to the curing barns, where they are dried and fermented. In the sorting houses, which are of great economic and social importance, skilled workers (the vast majority of whom are women) gently and delicately select, classify and sort the leaves.
In the factory, the leaves that will be used as wrappers, are separated and sprinkled with water to restore the humidity that was lost during processing and to reduce their fragility. Later, sorters classify according to size and color, using damp fingers, they rub, pull, smooth out and examine every leaf. They then select between 18 and 20 kinds of tobacco leaves, these will become the Habanos’ wrappers. The most demanding job is that of the cigar maker, he places half a leaf of binder on his table, then picks up an assortment of different kinds of leaves and shapes them into a bundle. To cover the cigar, he smooths out the wrapper, trims the edges with his knife and wraps it around the bundle.
The nearly completed Habano is caressed by delicate hands, the flat of the knife is pressed along it's length to attain perfect finishing and the end of the cigar that will go into the smoker’s mouth is shaped. The cigar is placed in a tiny horizontal guillotine, and the tip is clipped to the desired length.
When the shape and size has been checked and approved, the Habanos are gently tied with a ribbon in groups of 50 and they are sent to a vacuum fumigating chamber, where they are immunized against plagues. They are placed in special closets, where they remain for three weeks, in order to remove excess humidity. Then they go to the classification and packing department, also called the selection department. Finally, a cigar band is placed around each one. al anillado.
The quality control group takes samples of each cigar maker’s work, in order to check the cigar's size, shape, appearance, texture and thickness. Should they fail to meet the exacting standards, they are rejected a serious matter for the cigar maker, who is paid by piecework.
