The sweet, leathery smell of drying tobacco is hard to forget. Tobacco fields line the drive from Havana into Viñales and are punctuated by mogotes, large green mounds that look like lush mountains. Tobacco is the lifeblood of the Cuban people and their largest export.  Tobacco farmers from the Canary Islands colonized this area in the early 1800s.  I had the opportunity to visit and photograph several tobacco farms and spent time with the farmers in their homes.

The government strictly controls the seeds, plantations, and production facilities to maintain high-quality standards.  Private farms must be 25 acres or less and the farmers must sell 90% of their harvest to the state at non-negotiable prices.  The remaining 10% is personally used or sometimes sold directly to tourists.

Tobacco leaves from mature plants are selected at different times for different purposes and are cured in thatched barns identical to those used by the early Spaniards.  First, the 'volado' (hot} leaves are harvested to be used as a binder and ignitor for the cigar's contents. Then a week or so later, the 'ligero' (light) leaves are plucked to be used as the wrapper. Finally, the lower leaves, or 'seco' (dry) are gathered and will be used for the filler. These will dictate the final flavor and aroma of the cigar. Leaves are hung on horizontal wooden poles for three months to dry.  The leaves are then precisely rolled or sent to a government rolling facility.

In September 2023 shortly before I arrived, Hurricane Ian toppled 10,000 drying houses and ruined about 33,000 tons of stored leaves.  The government mandated people to help with the restoration process and the tobacco industry was back in a few weeks.