In the 1800’s, tobacco was banned throughout Europe. This created a significant demand for cigarettes and other tobacco products in Europe. To circumvent the regulations, many suppliers began smoking their own products or using European brands as an opportunity to hide less expensive goods under the name of European cigarette manufacturers. Erba Legale Costo is one of these brands that started in Italy amongst soldiers during World War II to satisfy their nicotine cravings.
Erba Legale Costo was first imported into Belgium by a French army officer who decided to put his private brand on the market back home in France, but it became extremely popular and spread rapidly throughout Belgium. After the war, it was one of the most well-known tobacco brands in Belgium and is now a subsidiary of the international tobacco company Imperial Tobacco.
The brand has grown into a worldwide phenomenon since its introduction to Belgium, with production and distribution being carried out by Imperial Tobacco, which is found in over 100 countries around the globe. It remains legal in Italy, where it came from; Italy hasn’t passed any anti-smoking laws yet. This makes Erba Legale Costo one of few legally available cigarettes in Italy.
This is where we get our name from: Erba means ‘herb’ and Legale means ‘legal’ or ‘lawful’ in Italian. The name is also a pun on the word ‘erba’, meaning ‘weed’ in Italian. This refers to the fact that it is against the law to smoke cannabis in South Africa yet we are still able to offer our clients various other herbs.
Erba Legale Costo is also known as ‘Espresso’, after the famous coffee brand. It has over nine different blends with different strengths and flavours available which range from less than €1 per packet to about €5 per packet. It uses a special and secret tobacco called ‘Arabica’ which is derived from the finest coffee beans, guaranteeing high quality.
In the 1890’s, there was an increase in demand for legally available tobacco products in Europe. To circumvent the regulations, many suppliers began smoking their own products or using European brands as an opportunity to hide less expensive goods under the name of European cigarette manufacturers.
Erba Legale Costo is one of these brands that started in Italy amongst soldiers during World War II to satisfy their nicotine cravings. Erba Legale Costo was first imported into Belgium by a French army officer who decided to put his private brand on the market back home in France, but it became extremely popular and spread rapidly throughout Belgium. After the war, it was one of the most well-known tobacco brands in Belgium and is now a subsidiary of the international tobacco company Imperial Tobacco.
The brand has grown into a worldwide phenomenon since its introduction to Belgium, with production and distribution being carried out by Imperial Tobacco, which is found in over 100 countries around the globe. It remains legal in Italy, where it came from; Italy hasn’t passed any anti-smoking laws yet. This makes Erba Legale Costo one of few legally available cigarettes in Italy. This is where we get our name from: Erba means ‘herb’ and Legale means ‘legal’ or ‘lawful’ in Italian.
