Corojo

Corojo is a type of tobacco, primarily used in the making of cigars, originally grown in the Vuelta Abajo region of Cuba.

Origin

Corojo was originally developed and grown by Diego Rodriguez at his farm or vega, Santa Ines del Corojo and takes its name from the farm. It was used as a wrapper extensively for many years on Cuban cigars, but its susceptibility to various diseases, Blue Mold in particular, caused the Cuban genetic engineers to develop various hybrid forms that would not only be disease-resistant, but would also display excellent wrapper qualities.

Hybrid or Pure?

Today, both hybrid and pure strains of Corojo are used in the production of cigars. Most of the pure Corojo leaf is currently grown in Honduras' Jamastran Valley, while the hybrid varieties are more widely grown and used.

Reference

The basis for summary article is Bernardo, Mark. A Tale of Two Seeds, Smoke Magazine, Spring, 2004 issue (vol. 9, issue 2).