Tercio
/ TAIR-see-oh /
Production & CuringSpanish
Definition
The traditional bale in which fermented tobacco is stored and shipped, made by packing hands of leaf into a square and wrapping them in sheets of royal palm bark. A tercio typically holds on the order of 50 to 80 kilograms.
Why it matters
The bale is not just packaging: its density and its breathable palm sheath let slow aging continue for years, which is why leaf is stored this way rather than in plastic.
In context
"The warehouse was stacked four tercios high, each stenciled with its farm, grade and crop year."
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