01. A long history
Tobacco was cultivated and used in the Americas long before European contact.
CIGAR CULTURE
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02. Caribbean traditions
Indigenous peoples of the Caribbean used tobacco in several forms before European colonization.
03. The tobacco plant
Commercial cigar tobacco is primarily derived from Nicotiana tabacum.
04. Different leaf roles
Cigar makers commonly distinguish wrapper, binder, and filler leaves.
05. The wrapper
A cigar wrapper is the outermost tobacco leaf.
06. The binder
Binder tobacco helps hold the filler together.
07. The filler
Filler tobacco forms the inner body of a traditional handmade cigar.
08. The cap
A cap is a piece of wrapper leaf used to finish the head of many premium cigars.
09. The foot
The foot is the end of a cigar that is lit.
10. The head
The head is the end of a cigar from which the smoker draws.
11. Tobacco curing
After harvest, tobacco leaves are cured to reduce moisture and begin important changes in the leaf.
12. Air curing
Many cigar tobaccos are air-cured in ventilated barns or curing structures.
13. Fermentation
Cigar tobacco may undergo controlled fermentation after curing.
14. Aging tobacco
Tobacco may be aged before it is used in cigar production.
15. Hand rolling
Premium handmade cigars are assembled by skilled cigar rollers.
16. The bunch
The filler and binder together form the cigar bunch before the wrapper is applied.
17. A cigar mold
Molds can help shape and stabilize cigar bunches during production.
18. Cigar sizes
Cigar dimensions are commonly described using length and ring gauge.
19. Ring gauge
One ring-gauge unit equals one sixty-fourth of an inch in diameter.
20. Parejo
Parejo generally refers to a cigar with a straight-sided, cylindrical shape.
21. Figurado
Figurado is a broad term for cigars with nonstandard or tapered shapes.
22. Robusto
Robusto is a widely recognized cigar size, although exact dimensions vary by maker.
23. Torpedo
Torpedo commonly describes a cigar with a tapered head.
24. The Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a major center of premium cigar manufacturing.
25. Nicaragua
Nicaragua is internationally known for producing premium cigars and cigar tobacco.
26. Honduras
Honduras has a long-established cigar and tobacco industry.
27. Cuba
Cuba is historically associated with the development of the modern premium cigar trade.
28. Tobacco terroir
Soil, climate, and cultivation methods can influence the characteristics of tobacco leaves.
29. Blending
Cigar blenders select and combine tobaccos to achieve a particular profile.
30. Cigar community
Cigar lounges, festivals, and gatherings are part of the social culture surrounding cigars.