To understand a bit about where Corojo came from and where it went, it’s important to delve into the history of tobacco in general.
Tobacco has been cultivated for thousands of years, with its smoking origin tracing back to the Andes. Archaeological evidence suggests that the indigenous peoples of the Andean region in South America began domesticating and cultivating tobacco as far back as 7,000 years ago. These aboriginal tribes eventually carried their knowledge of tobacco seeds and cultivation practices as they migrated through Central and North America.
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Of course, the tobacco harvested thousands of years ago cannot compare to the exquisite cigars of today, but the continent’s unique climate and fertile soils provide the perfect conditions for tobacco cultivation.
In 1492, when Columbus arrived in the Americas, the indigenous peoples introduced him to tobacco leaves, which he subsequently brought to Spain. At the time, tobacco smoking was confined to the Americas and parts of Africa. However, as tobacco became part of the “civilized world,” it took less than a century to reach Europe and Asia.
The next significant milestone in tobacco’s history occurred in Spain at the end of the 17th century, leading to the establishment of the Seville tobacco factory in the 18th century. It was the largest industrial building of its time and remained so until the 1950s. However, what made tobacco so important was a technique still in use today. The Spanish were the first to manufacture cigars using a three-component model: wrapper, binder, and filler. This technique allowed for the use of different types and intensities of tobacco in a single cigar. Since the wrapper is the outermost part of the cigar, the part buyers see and which drives their purchase, wrapper tobacco became the most important component, surpassing the binder and filler.
In 1753, Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus identified the two tobacco species used for smoking and named them Nicotiana rustica and Nicotiana tabacum, in honor of French ambassador Jean Nicot de Villemain, who wrote extensive volumes about tobacco. The latter, widely known as “dark tobacco,” is the main ingredient in any cigar.
The Evolution of Corojo
From the outset, tobacco farmers experimented with cultivating Nicotiana tabacum in various lands, regions, and countries. After many generations of naturally selecting the best plants for harvesting, these tobaccos developed into distinct variations with unique flavor and structural characteristics. These variations are known as criollo or “native seed” tobaccos.
There are five variations of dark criollo or native seed tobaccos, but for the purposes of this article, we will focus solely on habanesis, the first established Cuban variation. This variation stemmed from Nicotiana tabacum seeds brought from Mexico and planted in Cuba in 1534. These seeds became (and remain) the foundation of the vast majority of the world’s cigar tobacco. The habanesis variety was developed in Cuba in 1907, grown under shade for wrappers and in sunlight for binders and fillers. This tobacco fueled the rise of Cuban tobacco, including Corojo.
Out of habanesis came Criollo, developed in 1941 as a hybrid of habanesis. As its name suggests, Criollo was Cuba’s native seed and became the foundational seed from which all other Cuban dark tobaccos would be derived. Initially created for wrapper and filler use, Criollo was eventually surpassed by Corojo as a wrapper leaf.
Corojo tobacco was developed in the mid-1940s through selective cultivation of Criollo tobacco, grown at the El Corojo farm in Cuba, hence its name. From the mid-1940s to 1997, Corojo was the primary wrapper tobacco both within and beyond Cuba. After generations of testing and experimentation with cultivating and manufacturing the habanesis variety, Corojo became the leaf everyone wanted for its products due to its thickness, elasticity, fine texture, and exquisite flavor.
The Fall of Corojo
Two factors contributed to Corojo’s decline. The first was its susceptibility to various tobacco plant diseases, which significantly reduced its availability. This issue was compounded by the plant’s small size, meaning that even a minor infestation could severely impact supply and force buyers to seek alternatives. Eventually, Corojo was replaced by a variety of hybrid tobaccos that were more resistant to diseases and could be produced on a larger scale.
The second decisive factor was the Cuban Revolution and the nationalization of Cuban tobacco by the government. By the mid-1960s, many prominent tobacco producers had fled Cuba, taking their expertise with them. The embargo led to a significant shortage of wrapper tobacco in the United States, forcing companies to find alternatives to Cuban Corojo.
Farmers began selective breeding to develop improved tobacco variations. One of the first Corojo hybrids, known as Habano 2000, saw limited success. Initially grown in Nicaragua, it eventually spread to Honduras. This was followed by Criollo 99 and then Corojo 99.
Of course, many have tried to grow pure Corojo outside Cuba with varying degrees of success, particularly in Honduras and the Dominican Republic, but it remains a challenging and scarce variety.
For this reason, most tobacco farmers prefer using Corojo hybrids, such as Corojo 99, while others opt for entirely different leaves that are more resistant to pests and available in greater abundance.
This brings us to the realization that the cigar you’re smoking –potentially made from five leaves someone decided to combine for an experiment– is, in reality, the result of a process over 500 years in the making. Its goal is not just to provide enjoyment in the moment but to sustain itself over time without significantly increasing its current price.
Without a doubt, every tobacco tells a story, and Corojo may be the one that tells it best.
*With information from Diego Urdaneta.
