Mayan culture behind new cigarette

KT&G’s latest domestic-market introduction is a product containing Africa Mapacho, which is described as a potent variety of rainforest tobacco used for ‘hundreds of generations, including by the ancient Mayans’, according to a story in The Korea Times.

The company said on Thursday that in order to develop Africa Mapacho it had reinvented, from a modern perspective, the way the Mayans smoked Mapacho 1,300 years ago.

“Mapacho was widely used by the ancient Mayans when they made offerings to their gods or when they prayed for victory prior to battles,” a KT&G official said. “By including this unique and rare type of tobacco, we were able to produce cigarettes that offer a rich flavor.”

The cigarette pack design was predominantly blue in color, which symbolized the Mayan civilization, the official said, and it used a Mayan symbol.

“Africa Mapacho is a Mayan-themed product, which contains 5 mg of tar and 0.4 mg of nicotine,” he said. “We expect to attract a great deal of attention from consumers who seek a new, distinctive taste.”