THIS IS THE TOBACCO THAT MADE CUBA FAMOUS

THIS IS THE TOBACCO THAT MADE

CUBA FAMOUS

By Don Collins

Photos by Marcos Gonzalez & Henry Quinones

 



The Taino Indians owned all the land from Hispanola to Aruba (Cuba to Aruba). The island chain was called Borinken, a name preserved in Puerto Rico even now. The Taino Indians grew tobacco on all the islands and annually had a gathering in Puerto Rico called Sik'ar (Sikar). It was here that Columbus saw tobacco rolled and smoked in tubes for the first time in history. He took the products and practice of rolling back to spain as "cigarros".

DCPR PIRAMIDE, CHURCHILL, CORONA GRANDE, LONSDALE LF, LONSDALE & LONSDALE RUM

THIS IS THE SAME EXACT TOBACCO FROM PUERTO RICO

The most reputed tobacco growing district of Cuba, Vuelta Abajo, became the major theater of operations during the 1897 and 1898 campaigns of the second war for cukban independence (1895-1898). This war was also known as the Spanish American War. The conflict dislocated production and the relocation policies of the Spanish regime severely constrained the time that growers and work hands could dedicate to the plantations. Cigar Tobacco Production ended abruptly in Cuba. Cigars from Puerto Rico became the largest export from the Caribbean Islands before and after the war.

At the end of the war, large areas of the heavy and sandy clay soils in Cuba were barren and laid to waste. Seed for the 1898-99 harvest was scarce and needed to be imported from other areas as corporate and individual planters required excellent seed to maintain the markets and international reputation of their leaf. According to the authoritative Angel González del Valle growers generally imported the seeds from Puerto Rico.

1. González Fernández (1996), pp. 310-312

2. Lestina (1940), p. 45-46.

3. González del Valle (1929), pp. 61-62.

4. Ceballos (1899).