If You Have to Smoke a Last Cigarette, Make it a Chunghwa

Hugo Restall has taken up smoking. Those words are incredulous to me, in 2007, but true…he wrote a piece in today’s WSJ that was a deep appreciation for the finer things in life. Like Chinese-made Chunghwa cigarettes.

“If smoking does put you on the road to early death, as some spoilsports say, then Chunghwas make the journey an extremely pleasant one. I would go as far as to say that, if you ever find yourself in the unfortunate position of being offered a last cigarette, make it a Chunghwa. This is a smoke to be savored like vintage wine.”

The cigs cost $10 per pack in Bejing, Restall describes the fabulous taste of these butts…”Pandas are made with a dark tobacco and hence, are woody and nutty, with hints of pine shavings and hickory. They are a bit strong, and have a very long filter to compensate. But they leave a spicy aftertaste, which perhaps is why Deng, who was from Sichuan, the land of chilies or peppercorns, loved them so much.”