The earliest written record of the Chinese translation for “cigar” can be found in the Yong’an’s Diary written by Xue Fucheng, a diplomat during the Qing Dynasty.
But the most interesting story about the origin of the Chinese word for cigars is related to Xu Zhimo, a Chinese romantic poet of the Republic of China.
In the autumn of 1924, at a private club in Shanghai, Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore was tasting a cigar and puffing on it when he asked Xu Zhimo: “Do you have a name for cigars in Chinese?”
Xu Zhimo replied: “The ashes of the cigar are white as snow and the tobacco is rolled up like a jia (an ancient northern ethnic musical instrument in the Han Dynasty, like a flute). I call it a xuejia.”
As a result, this foreign item from the Americas was given the beautiful and elegant Chinese name, xuejia.
The symbolism of a cigars
The production and sale of cigars in Cuba was legally recognized in the early 19th century by King Ferdinand VII of Spain and they quickly became a status symbol for the upper classes.
After World War II, the emergence of a group of cigar aficionados led by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill made cigars synonymous with being noble, brave, tenacious, masculine, sexy and avant-garde. Thus, smoking cigars became a sign of status and masculinity.
People on the Internet have identified five characteristics of cigar lovers and there is a general consensus that cigar smokers are: mature, wealthy, sophisticated, calm and aggressive. What do you think?
Perhaps cigars have always been more popular among men due to their nature, taste, marketing position and social recognition. However, the first time I saw a female friend smoking a cigar, or the first time I saw a female friend sharing a cigar, and even the first time I tried a cigar for myself, I realized that the story of cigars and women is also very interesting.
From first encounter to completely impressed
File Photo by Eduardo Martins
In most cases, women who get to know or smoke cigars, including myself, and who have the chance to appreciate cigars on a regular basis, are introduced to cigars by our male friends who truly enjoy them. At work social events or at friendly gatherings, we usually just soak ourselves in a smoke-filled room watching others smoke while we silently experience the smell of burning tobacco.
But women are naturally sensitive and curious, so we sometimes dare to explore the mystery of cigars rather than just being observers.
One of my friends said that at first, she felt the smell of cigars was very bad, and the smell lingered in her mouth for so long that she could not get rid of it even when she brushed her teeth or used mouthwash.
But from a puff or two on her friends’ cigars to trying a cigar by herself, she now enjoys cigars every few days. Maybe in the beginning it was out of social pressure that she tried cigars, but gradually, as she met different people and listened to stories and experiences of cigars shared by them, she began to savor the taste and pay attention to the rolling method of each cigar, and eventually learned the history and culture of different cigar brands. These days she has completley fallen in love with cigars.
Another friend told me that although she does not particularly like or hate cigars, she found that the flavors and tastes of cigars are so diverse after trying different ones, it made her want to continue to explore different kinds.
I have also occassionaly found myself enjoying a few puffs on a good cigar from time to time, and have experienced that unique sweetness that all my cigar lover friends have told me about. Unlike the sweetness of candy, the flavour of cigars is filled with different layers and comes with a spicy or bitter taste at first. Only after you puff the smoke out of your month can you finally feel the flavour coming from your lips and teeth, surrounding you as you are rewarded with this amazing experience.
I’m not addicted to cigars and I certainly don’t advocate smoking, but I have now come to understand cigars from a totally different perspective.
A new trend for women?
Surprisingly, I have spotted more and more women at cigar bars recently, either to purchase or smoke, including Macau residents and mainland tourists.
As women rise in social status and economic power, will cigars become a new trend for modern women?
My aforementioned cigar-loving friend expressed that she is the only one in her group who smokes cigars, and although she has female friends who accompany her to cigar bars, they do not want to try them. If more women smoke cigars in the future, she believes that the reason will be due to a certain social need to do so.
In my opinion, women are not necessarily out of reach of the cigar industry. The complex taste of burning tobacco leaves in a cigar, like the bittersweet experience of life, may be more appealing to modern and mature women.
There are many other features of cigars that can attract women. In particular, smoking a cigar usually takes a long time, so they could become a focal point for women to gather together to talk and relax. Indeed, some say it’s not the cigars that are expensive, but the time spent smoking them.
So, lighting up a fine cigar, enjoying free time, chatting with friends about work and life, and feeling independent and confident from the inside out – could smoking cigars now be symbolic and reflective of the lives of modern women as well?
What She Thinks
Annya Lai
探索「她經濟」的市場人
marketing explorer in SHEconomy
行業項目拓展經理
Business Development Manager
工商管理在讀博士
PhD student in Business Administration
