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GC Photo Editor Andreana Bitsis takes us on a tour of an old-world tobacco farm in Viñales.
During our stay in Viñales, my friends and I decided to take a five-hour horseback riding tour through the countryside. Our horses were friendly, the views were stunning, and we had finally gotten to the part that we were most anticipating… a tour of an authentic Cuban tobacco farm. We parked our horses and followed our guide inside.
At the time of year that we arrived at the farm in Viñales, most of the plants had matured and been hand-picked by farmers to be put through a special fermentation process, which is unique from farmer to farmer depending on their cigar recipes. Ingredients like water, honey, rum, pineapple, or vanilla can be used to give the leaves their desired flavor.
Once the tobacco leaves ferment, the rolling process can begin. First, the major veins of the leaves are removed, as they contain 70% of the nicotine and are recycled for use in fertilizer or perfume. Then, four to six leaves (depending on the size) are used to create the filling of a cigar. Leaves from the top of the plant are stronger and more valuable to this process.
After the filler leaves are cut and rolled, another leaf is carefully selected to create a stretched “skin” around the cigar, keeping the filler leaves in place. This part of the process is important, as the leaf needs to be strong, large enough, and to maintain a clean look to create a visually attractive cigar for sale.
After our demonstration, Julio handed us a few complimentary cigars to try. I’m not a smoker, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to smoke a fresh, authentic Cuban cigar with the men that made them, and it was amazing! Julio told us that along with being a tour guide, he teaches American-English to Cubans. He told us that most Cubans need at least two jobs or specialities to make a proper living, and that he was very excited to practice his English with us.
The beautiful Mogote mountains were being quickly enveloped by heavy clouds and we could tell a storm was heading our way, so at the end of our tour we packed up our cigars, got up on our horses, and headed back to the stables.