Since its very early origin, Mankind has always been attracted to fire and its manifestations as well as by the mysteries of its smoke. Its luminescent and calorific powers inspired all sorts of venerations.
The smoking of plant materials has a history that could be closely tied with Man’s appearance on Earth. In religious rites, smoke is used in the invocation of God; and for thinkers, it is a symbol of reflection.
The plant of tobacco first originated from the American continent. From the hills of Bolivia and Perú in the heart of the Andes cordillera, Nicotiana tabacum L. made its emergence some thousands of years ago. The plant progressively spread to Central America and the Caribbean Islands as a result of pre-Columbian civilization migrations.
And in Central America, the mythical plant encountered some of the most fertile soils for its cultivation. Somewhere in this New World lived an indigenous chief: Nicarao. This Native American Indian cacique naturally captured respect for his wisdom and courage.
On 12 October 1523, the wise Nicarao met Gil Gonzalez Dávila, the first Spanish conquistador of this area of the Americas. Presents to the “new God” included gold, silver and some strange brown and dry leaves unknown to Europeans. The black Nicaraguan tobacco was already a refined gift.
Natives of the New Continent smoked cigars for rituals, medicinal and magical purposes. After the conquest of the New World and their discovery of the tobacco plant, Europeans tasted for exotic pleasure and sensual desire.
Genuineness was opposed to the novelty. The meetings between Nicarao and Gonzalez were named by history: ‘The Dialogue of Centuries’; a confrontation of states and civilizations. Nicarao demonstrated the philosophy of the natives, their science and their art of living. The conquistador was impressed.
During the 16th century, Nicarao left a mark in the birth of a new country in Central America:
Nicaragua. His name became, thus, forever linked with the history of this country.
Today, in the 21st century, a new brand of cigars was named after Nicarao. Those cigars are the ultimate expression of the region where the tobacco plants are grown.
From the best black tobaccos entirely originated in the country, Nicarao cigars take you into the genuineness of Nicaragua history and into the quality of Nicaragua soils and regions.