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A
cigar is a tightly rolled bundle of dried and fermented
tobacco that is ignited so that its smoke may be
drawn into the mouth. Cigar tobacco is grown in
significant quantities in Brazil, Cameroon, Cuba,
Dominican Republic, Honduras, Indonesia, Mexico,
Nicaragua, Philippines, and the Eastern United States.Explorer
Christopher Columbus is generally credited with
the introduction of tobacco to Europe. Two of Columbus's
crewmen during his 1492 journey, Rodrigo de Jerez
and Luis de Torres, are said to have encountered
tobacco for the first time on the island of San
Salvador in the Bahamas, when natives presented
them with dry leaves that spread a peculiar fragrance. |
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Quality
cigars are still hand-made. An experienced
cigar-roller can produce hundreds of very
good, nearly identical, cigars per day. The
rollers keep the tobacco moist—especially
the wrapper—and use specially designed
crescent-shaped knives, called chavetas, to
form the filler and wrapper leaves quickly
and accurately. |
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Some
cigars, especially premium brands, use different
varieties of tobacco for the filler and the
wrapper. "Long filler cigars" are
a far higher quality of cigar, using long
leaves throughout. These cigars also use a
third variety of tobacco leaf, called a "binder",
between the filler and the outer wrapper.
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Once
rolled, the cigars are stored in wooden forms
as they dry, in which their uncapped ends
are cut to a uniform size. From this stage,
the cigar is a complete product that can be
"laid down" and aged for decades
if kept as close to 21°C (70°F), and
70% relative humidity, as the environment
will allow. |
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