Standing in every other field, the secaderos are full of drying leaves at the moment. We have been invited in to a few different secaderos so far for explanations and demonstrations of rolling a cigar, before being offered bundles for purchase.
Tobacco is planted in October, harvested three months later, and dried for three months before being rolled into cigars and cigarettes. A few fields still have some plants growing; these I understand to be for seed. The tobacco that goes inside the cigar is called ‘La Troba’ and the outside ‘sheath’ is called ‘Kapote’ or ‘kapa’ (strikingly like the Greek slang «καπότα»). Once the leaves are dry, 90% of the harvest (!) goes to the state, is made into Cubanos and Monte Cristos, and sold in state-run stores and abroad. The farmer is then ‘free’ to do as they please with the remaining 10%. (Hardly an American concept of ‘freedom’.) So probably as much as they can sell to tourists they will, and smoke what’s left.
Inside Maria’s secadero, she rolls us a fresh cigar:
A farmer in a tobacco field in front of her secadero:
Another demostration of the rolling technique:
Martina’s new ‘gangster-on-holiday’ look.
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