A Popular Name - Honduran Cigars
Roatan, and San Pedro Sula are both part of a Central American country. Honduras is
a country that was badly washed out by its political history, plight of economy and even the occasional natural
disaster brought about by hurricanes over the years. However, Roatan is a paradise of the holiday maker, especially
for the cruise vacationers. As for San Pedro Sula, it is where the tobacco growers of Honduras live in.
Beside being one of the poorest countries in Central America, Honduras is also one of
the many countries which is still unable to repay the loan from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
In some people’s view, the country is a place of poverty, crime and political unrest. This is also probably the
reason why the people of Honduras are not united in thoughts and behavioral patterns. Despite all their various
problems, the people of Honduras do share one common identity though, and that is their cigars.
Ever since the cigars from Cuba were banned from entering the US because of a
sanctioned trade embargo against the country, cigars from Honduran have grown in familiarity and popularity among
the people of the US. In fact, Honduran cigars have become a favourite among many cigar lovers in some
European countries.
If we were to trace the history of Honduran cigars, we will find that they actually
had their roots from Cuba. Many tobacco farmers had decided to migrate and settle in their neighbouring country,
Honduras, when they were no longer allowed to operate their businesses under the communist rule because Fidel
Castro announced that all businesses in Cuba shall come under the government’s control.
Frank Llaneze, the founder and President of the Honduran-American Tobacco S.A.
(H.A.T.S.A.), is one of the earlier creators of Honduran cigars. He has invented a new type of cigars that had
since become very popular with the cigar lovers. He was persistence in looking for ways to create a new type of
Havana tobacco by mixing it with other Caribbean countries’ tobacco species. He knew that he was in desperate need
of a new variety of tobacco before all Cuban tobacco was wiped out in the Cuban revolution. After many futile
attempts, he finally succeeded in growing a new specie of tobacco seeds in the Honduras’ fertile soil. This new
specie of tobacco seeds were actually the offspring of the Cuba and Connecticut tobacco seeds. In today’s world,
many renowned cigar brands such as Excalibur, Hoyo de Monterrey and Punch were produced by H.A.T.S.A. and they are
the top cigar brands which are very popular with the American cigar aficionados.
A mixture of nuts and wood gives rise to the flavour of the well-known Honduran
cigars. An aroma of spicy and woody finish topped off full-bodied taste of the delightful cigar. It is not uncommon
to find a stick of Honduran cigar, which is comparable to their Havana predecessor, accompanying a toast of red
wine. The American tobacco lovers find great elation in the Honduran cigars, especially since the Cuban cigars are
only available in the expensive black market.
Despite being a country of great poverty, Honduras is definitely in possession of one
of the world’s riches that many countries would desire to own. It is believed that in the near future, Honduras
will be rid of its poverty state and become the tobacco capital of the world.
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