Take a cigar between your fingers, light the lighter, take a breath, taste its aroma and enjoy the fine line of smoke that comes off while burning - one by one - its layers, it can be something simple, even attractive, but how many steps are needed to reach this enjoyment?

Eumelio Espino Marrero faced this question again and again, after concluding a national or international conference, because there were many persons interested in the reason for the exclusivity of Cuban tobacco.

His new book, The Habano, from the seed to the cigar in 539 steps, printed in Madrid, by Cigars City Publishing House , SL, brings the reader closer to these concerns, usually from an audience interested in production, industrialization, marketing and consumption of a unique product in the world.

The first edition, with 1,500 copies, had its official presentation during the 21st edition of the Habanos Festival, the largest festival of Premium cigars in the world, based at the Havana Convention Center, between February 18-22.

In exclusive interview for our weekly newspaper , Eumelio stated declared that this book is not a technical instruction, but it makes clear the consequences that brings about for the quality of the tobacco the fact of missing some of the steps described, starting from seeds selection to perpetuate the varieties , going through the necessary pre-industrial phase and closing its cycle with the industry.

As an introduction to the essential content, the author tells the reader about the genetic improvement, essential to guarantee the varieties that are going to be used in commercial exploitation, without which, the existence of the crop and therefore the manufacture of cigars would be impossible.

Some anecdotes are included the book, like that of the participant in a conference given by the author in Madrid, who stood up and said: "Listen, before listening to you I thought that the Habano was too expensive, but now, I know all the careful and delicate work that must be done to produce it, I think you have to make a bow to smoke it. "

Eumelio Espino has been the Illustrious Son of San Antonio de los Baños and Hombre Habano since 2005.

TRANSLATION BY LMMS