Europe and Asia did not know tobacco until the first campaign of Columbus in America, or rather, on the island of Cuba. Although, in fact, what the Indians smoked then, it was not tobacco. It was a fragrant cohiba plant wrapped in thin corn leaves. Conquistadors themselves invented tobacco and rolled tobacco in the 17th century.
A bit of history
For 200 years after the discovery of America, the Spaniards greatly valued their monopoly on tobacco products, but after 1817, when it was abolished, tobacco began to spread rapidly around the world. In the 18th century, cigars were called “nicotine,” by the name of Jean Nico, who brought smoking products to France. To Russia, tobacco got along with Dutch merchants, and at first it was ground into powder and sniffed. For the first time, Catherine the Great began to smoke tobacco. By the way, this was not her only bad habit. It was during this period that cigars began to be produced not only in France, but also in Germany.
The effect of cigars on human health
It is now known that even the most expensive Cuban cigars are dangerous to health. But back in the early 19th century, tobacco was considered almost a cure. He was chewed, drank tinctures from him, sniffed and, accordingly, smoked.
For a while, it was believed that high-quality cigars drown out the feeling of hunger, using this effect of their own, treating diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, obesity and other diseases associated with digestion. There is a rational grain in this method - diet and abstinence in food will necessarily have a positive effect on the stomach, intestines, liver and pancreas. But the harm to nicotine caused by the body blocks all the beneficial properties of cigars. It destroys the walls of blood vessels, which ultimately leads to stroke and heart disease.
And who knows, do not smoke celebrities such as Mark Twain, Kipling, Freud, Churchill and Comrade Stalin, how many great achievements they would have managed to make if their life had not been cut short by the disease caused by smoking. You can reduce the harmful effects on the body, but for this you need to smoke the most expensive cigars. They are cleaner, better and do not contain additional dangerous impurities.
For information, manufacturers add cigarette smoldering substances to cigarette tobacco , while cigars and pipe tobacco do not. And if the smoker stops puffing, the pipe or cigar goes out. Therefore, the most expensive cigars can be smoked for several hours, allowing them to go out from time to time and light them later.
Cigar production
The top most expensive cigars in the world begins with Cuban tobacco. Properly grown and processed tobacco is the key to a high-quality product.
The most expensive cigars are made only by hand - no machine tools or robots. Another secret of success is the skillful hands of masters.
At the first stage, tobacco goes through several fermentation cycles. This process is designed not only to dry the tobacco leaf, but also to give it a unique, delicate taste, along with a decrease in its nicotine content. The most expensive cigars go from 3 to 5 rounds of fermentation.
The next step is sorting. The sheets are laid out in thickness, color and texture, at the same time torn, wrinkled and poorly processed leaves are discarded. Raw materials are cleaned from fragments of insect bodies. By the way, in the production of chocolate, for example, the presence of insects in the raw material, fragments of shells and extremities, in the ratio of 100 pcs., Is considered an acceptable norm. per 100 grams of product.
During sorting, specially trained craftsmen not only distribute the leaves according to shades of aroma, but also compose various mixtures. The most expensive cigars are a mixture of different sheets of tobacco, creating unique flavors.
At the last stage, the cigar itself is curled. This is done by specialists who masterfully own the only instrument in the production of cigars - chevet. This is a sharp knife of a specific shape. The master with this tool prepares the sheet for twisting, removing the stem from it and cutting off uneven edges. Correctly “tailored” chevet sheet is wrapped in a perfect cigar.
Cigar structure
The most expensive cigars in Russia and not only are quite a product with a complex structure. In a Cuban cigar, the filling is called "trippa", it can consist of several thin sheets folded with an accordion, creating a specific aroma. The filling turns into a durable sheet - the “hood”, it does not allow it to crumble.
The outer part of the cigar is made of a durable sheet, pre-soaked in essential oil. This sheet is called "capa", it is he who gives the cigar its shape. The top most expensive cigars include brands of products decorated with hand-painted tags.
Cigars are stored in wooden caskets, and the species of wood is quite definite - a humidor. This helps to protect products from dampness and dryness, as well as from harmful insects.
Additional devices
Cigar smoking is not the cheapest way of leisure. This habit is peculiar only to very rich people, because a cigar can cost from 50 to 500 US dollars. And if a person is able to spend such money on smoking, then he can afford to use the items accompanying this procedure. These are not only expensive and elegant ashtrays, although a smoker can not do without them.
Among cigar smokers, high-quality and beautiful guillotines for cutting cigars are very much appreciated. This is a specific knife that can cleanly and carefully cut the tip of the cigar. They are made of stainless steel and coated with gold or silver.
To smoke a cigar is quite difficult, you need to keep its tip over the fire for almost a minute, so cheap lighters are not suitable for this. As a rule, a cigar smoker acquires a high-quality table lighter.
Cigars should be stored in wooden crates made of rare wood. Cigars are transported in special cases of various sizes: 2 cigars, 3 or 4.
Cigar smoking process
You can smoke a cigar from a few minutes to 1-1.5 hours. This allows you to make specifics of smoking - cigar smoke is not inhaled lightly, because it is very tart and causes a cough when ingested. The whole gum flavor of smoke is felt by the mucous membrane of the mouth and taste buds. And nicotine is absorbed into the bloodstream directly through the mucous membrane of the mouth, which makes cigars with chewing tobacco related. It is because of this specificity of cigar smoking - the absence of puffs that are light - that they are considered less dangerous and harmful than regular cigarettes.
Cigar Harm
Despite the fact that smoking a cigar allows you to protect the lungs from the accumulation of resins and carcinogens in them, this habit is still dangerous to health. Yes, in the cigar smoke there are no artificial flavors and other impurities, like in cigarettes, but it remains smoke. And nicotine remains a poison for the body. And if a cigar smoker does not eventually get lung cancer, then he always has a chance to bring his vessels to a state where they become thin and fragile. This state of affairs can cause a rupture of the vessel in the head or near the heart, and this is usually a quick and painful death.
The most expensive cigars in the world
The top 10 most expensive cigars in the world include the following brands:
- Louixs - a variety produced in Nicaragua and distinguished from others by the emblem of King Louis XIV.
- The Arturo Fuente factory produces a very limited in quantity, but very expensive and high-quality product - "Opus X BBMF".
- Since 2001, Arturo Fuente factory has launched the production of another very expensive brand of cigars - AniverXario.
- At the production of Opus X produce the largest and most expensive cigars. They reach a length of 23 cm. This product is distinguished not only by its huge size, but also by its refined taste.
- Cigars of the Cuban factory Cohiba are also not small - 19 cm, but they have a unique taste, and the price is not for the faint of heart.
- Very small batches produce NMR products. Lovers have been waiting for years to buy these cigars.
- Gurkha Black Dragon cigars have individual leather packaging for each item. That only emphasizes their exclusivity and quality.
- The King of Denmark cigar is decorated with gold and artificial gems, emphasizing its royal sophistication.
- One of the most expensive and largest cigars is the Gran Habano. She is not so much a means of smoking as a work of art.
- The top 10 most expensive cigars would not be complete without the Maya Cigars found in Guatemala. It is believed that these cigars are about 600 years old, and they are still suitable for smoking. If someone comes to mind smoking an archaeological find.
Conclusion
Freud’s fans should remember his statement about a man’s cigar in his mouth: “Sometimes a cigar in the mouth is just a cigar in the mouth.” But still, before lighting a cigar, you need to think twice. After all, smoking in any case adversely affects the human body, causing dangerous diseases.