Processing Cuban Tobacco Leaf
Processing Cuban tobacco leaf can take many months, and sometimes years, before the leaf is ready to be used in production for a cigar. The first step is perhaps the most crucial one that is taken. This is the air curing of the recently harvested tobacco leaves. It helps to remove all the moisture from the leaves and gradually gives the leaves a nice golden brown color for which it is known.
Most of the curing is done by very traditional methods. This means the leaves are simply hung in traditional tobacco houses. The leaves are strung together by thread and hung next to each other as they rest on large sweepers. The light allowed into the houses must be adjusted on a constant basis. This allows for a much more natural variation of temperature and humidity allowed into the house, which the leaves need in order for the curing to occur properly.
