Walking through the Sunday market of Cuetzalan I met with this gentleman that sold tobacco. I knew that the region of Cuetzalan was coffee producer, but not of tobacco. After my chat with this farmer and artisan nahua, I realized that there were other stands that sold tobacco.

The introduction to the chat was direct and innocent one "Is this tobacco? ", to the answer of "Yes", I sat on the curbside and started to chat with the gentleman. The tobacco that the gentleman sold was "Creole Tobacco", he told me that there are other varieties like the Tobacco Huasteco. He sowed and cultivated the tobacco in Santiago, near Cuetzalan. I asked a little about the process from the sowing to the harvest and this is the short version of what he told me.

Sowing

The seed is watered in a nursery, so it's protected and takes strength together with the others. When the plant has grown a bit you transplant it. The plant that you transplant, goes to a previously fallowed, furrowed earth and with fertilizer. You sow in November and it is harvested in March.

Harvest

The plant is harvested by sections being the best leaves the superiors ones of the plant. It is taken out to the sun and then ready to make the cigars.

After a pleasing chat, and a cigar on hand (with a really rustic finish), we said goodbye and life followed its paths.