#Sister Of The Leaf - Maya Selva

Written on 4 December 2020

Like every day, she had climbed the hill. Sitting on her wooden bench, she could see the Basilica of Suyapa from there, and if she closed her eyes, she could draw in her head every outline of the city she loved so much. She could feel the humidity in the air clinging to her hair and the almost suffocating heat of Tegucigalpa. As she breathed in the air, she could smell the vegetal notes coming from the surrounding trees. With the sense of pride with which she had grown up, she turned to her city:

"One day, I'll take the flavours of Honduras beyond our borders".

She celebrated her sixteenth birthday in Paris, her family having returned to France to live. She missed the air of Tegucigalpa terribly. She thought back to the tobacco factory she had visited with her Honduran grandfather, the smell of the dried tobacco leaves, the care she took in picking the leaves. Throughout her engineering studies, she was driven by this desire to capture the scents of Honduras. When she finished her studies, she couldn't wait to make her dreams come true with a product that so perfectly represented the spirit of the land: the cigar.

She then presented her project and her vision to her grandfather's friend, who owned the tobacco factory in Honduras. He categorically refused to help her with the project, and asked her why: "Maya, cigars are a man's world. Growing the leaves requires skill and patience. Cigars underline the power of the smoker; they are an alibi for getting together to talk business, make important decisions and talk politics.

She was speechless at these illogical arguments. Isn't a woman entitled to show her expertise and take on the toughest jobs? Isn't she capable of making difficult decisions, showing her power and taking responsibility for her opinion? Is her palate not developed to smell the subtle, complex or powerful aromas of a cigar? So she decided to prove that no gender limits applied to a pleasure as pure and simple as enjoying a cigar. That know-how had no age, gender or limits, and that she could pass it on and value it with respect.

A few years later, with a great deal of courage and hard work, Maya made her dream come true: handmade cigars from personally selected areas in Honduras and Nicaragua that reflect her vision and spirit of the terroir.

She wanted to share this vision and this product with women in particular, to open the doors to this wonderful world and give everyone the chance to discover this exceptional product:

"It seems that women have a huge range of flavours, so it makes sense that they smoke cigars full of aromas".
Maya de Selva

Cigars are often, despite themselves, categorised as masculine. In reality, it brings people together, without limits of gender, age or knowledge. It's an open door to complex, multiple flavours and infinite associations. The moment of sharing that it creates is, in essence, a moment of humility.

The cigar appreciated by women is also a slice of history. From its medical and purifying virtues for Catherine de Medici, to the pleasure of Elizabeth 1st, who democratised its use, to the charismatic Kim Basinger, cigars have always been loved by women. Whether you're an activist like Maya Selva or enjoy a cigar like a good glass of wine (or both), a cigar is above all a story of discovery and sharing.

Article freely inspired by the biography of Maya de Selva