We are on Omotepe Island in Lake Nicaragua this week, the land of two volcanoes and world famous tobacco. Cigars are not my thing but I find the process pretty fascinating. It's similar to making wine, it's an art!
There are over 70 species of tobacco that are grown. All tobacco likes heat and needs a long frost-free period, some are grown in full sun and some are grown under shade cloth. I believe the type above is the popular low growing Cuban type. Nicaragua and Cuba are the only countries that produce cigars with all their own materials, other countries need to import other types of tobacco leaves to produce a good tasting and smooth cigar.
After 3-5 months in the field the leaves are strung and cured. There are three main ways to cure--air, fire, flue--and the time it takes depends on the type. In Nicaragua the most common way seems to be by air, which requires the least amount of infrastructure. Air curing in Nica usually takes about 2 months. After curing the leaves are often re-moistened to prevent breakage then sorted by experts that can tell the slightest difference in tan colors and quality, a process called grading. After they are separated by grade they are usually bundled up to be sold.
Each cigar maker buys tobacco from multiple sources. One maker I was reading about uses 15 different types of tobacco in one cigar! Once a cigar maker buys the leaves, they are moistened with exacting precision and taken to a warehouse where they are aged for years, focusing on particular flavor/taste/texture qualities. The flavor also comes from things like soil type, elevation, growing methods (shade or full sun), etc. In every cigar there’s leaves for flavor, for binding, for filling, and the most unblemished leaves are saved for the wrapping.
That is just some of what goes into making a cigar.
I love learning about local agriculture!
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