Just as a mystic sage grows in wisdom and spiritual insight over the years, so does the Agarwood resin in the Aquilaria trunk intensify its fragrance over time.
The quality of an Aloeswood oil depends on the quality of the Agarwood from which it is extracted. The oldest and most resinated aloeswood will yield the rarest and most precious Oud oil. The aging process enhances the fragrant aura of the Oud resin and intensifies its aromatic value..
That is why there is a wide range of different Oud qualities and grades. The cheapest Oud oil is distilled from agarwood that costs as little as $20 a kilogram, while the finest Oud can be distilled from agarwood that costs as much as $7,000 per kilogram. The latter is regarded as the highest quality Oud, and it is produced and cherished only in the royal circles of the Gulf and Far East.
The very finest Agarwood reaches a resin content so heavy that it actually sinks in water. This is a phenomenal occurrence because, like all types of wood, Aloeswood normally floats on water. The resin of the Oud becomes so dense that it causes the agarwood to sink. This type of sinking grade aloeswood is known as ‘jinkoh’, which means ‘sinking incense’.
Oriscent presents sinking-grade Oud in its most potent and fragrant form.
Malaysia is an ideal country for the cultivation of Agarwood, one of the most valuable trees in the world. Many investors are looking seriously at portfolio diversification into tropical hardwoods and plantation investment. Agarwood is a highly valuable wood which produces a valuable oleoresin, seen as irregular dark patches formed inside old Aquilaria trees. Other common names for Agarwood include eaglewood, aloeswood and gaharu..
Fewer than 8% of trees produce the valuable Agarwood in nature. The locals cut down Agarwood trees indiscriminately in search of the valuable fragrant producing resin. As a result, there are hardly any of these trees left in the world. Since high quality Agarwood takes a long time to form naturally and only a small percentage of trees produce them naturally, it follows that the demand far exceeds the supply.
Agarwood is a highly valued wood and has been used in medicine, perfume, and as incense in Buddhist, Muslims and Hindus religious ceremonies. Its therapeutic property is used as an ingredient in medicine for treating pleurisy, asthma, rheumatism and jaundice. It is also known to be beneficial to the liver, lungs and stomach. Other products include sculptures, beads,,boxes, perfume, soaps, shampoos and essential oils. International trading of agarwood is not limited to finished products. Trading also takes place in the form of powder, oil, wood and wood chips. Read about Gaharu Products.
Taiwan is the most important final destination market, followed by United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Japan. Japan alone has been importing on average 29,433 kg per year, with an average purchase price of USD187/kg. (Source: Ministry of Finance, Customs Statistics).
Many foresters and investors have expressed interest in growing Agarwood but demand still out-strps supply and because this gap will not be resolved in the near future, there is a great opportunity in agarwood plantations investment..
High quality agarwood, which is black and full of oil, can fetch prices of up to hundreds of dollars a kilo and every piece of agarwood is valuable as wood bits and chips can be used to make aromatic incense sticks.
White parts of the wood scraps can also be distilled to make aromatic essential oil, which can be sold at more than US$1,000 per 10 grammes.
The residue from the distillation process is made into special oil used in Muslim religious ceremonies. As a result, most customers come from Middle East nations, while some European countries also need aromatic agarwood oil to make perfume.
Agarwood or oodh (or just agar) is a dark resinous heartwood that forms in Aquilaria trees (large evergreens native to southeast Asia) when they become infected with a type of mold.
Prior to infection, the heartwood is relatively light and pale coloured, however as the infection progresses, the tree produces a dark aromatic resin in response to the attack, which results in a very dense, dark, resin embedded heartwood. The resin embedded wood is commonly called gaharu, jinko, aloeswood, agarwood, or oud (not to be confused with ‘Bakhoor’) and is valued in many cultures for its distinctive fragrance, and thus is used for incense and perfumes.
Agarwood is known under many names in different cultures:
In Hindi (India), it is known as “agar”, which is originally Sanskrit ‘aguru’ (in Bengali, it is spelled ‘aguru’)..
It is known as Chén-xīang (沉香) in Chinese, “trầm hương” in Vietnamese, and Jin-koh (沈香) in Japanese; all meaning “sinking incense” and alluding to its high density..
Both agarwood and its resin distillate/extracts are known as Oud (عود) in Arabic (literally wood) and used to describe agarwood in nations and areas in Arabic countries. Western perfumers may also use agarwood essential oil under the name “oud” or “oude”.
In Europe it was referred to as Lignum aquila (eagle-wood) or Agilawood, because of the similarity in sound of agila to gaharu.
Another name is Lignum aloes or Aloeswood. This is potentially confusing, since a genus Aloe exists (unrelated), which has medicinal uses.
Agarwood can be use in a varieties of ways, ranging from medicines to aromatherapy.
Medicinal – Tonic, aphrodisiac, diuretic, relieves epilepsy, antimicrobial, carminative, anti-asthmatic.. Useful in nervous disorders, digestive, bronchial complaints, smallpox, rheumatism, illness during and after childbirth, spasms in the digestive and respiratory systems, fevers, abdominal pain, asthma, cancer, colic, diarrhoea, nausea, regurgitation, weakness in the elderly, shortness of breath, chills, general pains and cirrhosis of the liver. It also acts as a director or focuser for other medicines. It has been used as a treatment for lung and stomach tumours.
Perfumery – The resin is also used in perfumery. Yves Saint Laurent and Amouage use agarwood as a base in their most exclusive perfumes.
Culinary – Used in Malaysia to flavour curries and Taiwan uses Agarwood as an aromatic ingredient in their local wines. Even certain Agarwood leaves can be used to make Agarwood Tea.
Aphrodisiac – Agarwood is the most potent aphrodisiac of all the essential oils.
Insomnia – Valerian is a natural component of agarwood resin and functions to relieve insomnia and calm the nervous system before sleep, allowing one to have a deeper, longer sleep.
Wicca – In Wicca agarwood is used for love and spirituality and is called for in many of the most powerful magical formulas to draw a lover near.
Aromatherapy – In the field of aromatherapy, Agarwoods ability to invoke a deep sense of relaxation makes it extremely useful in any aromatherapy session, but is especially effective where anxiety and depression are present. Also widely used as an effective aphrodisiac.
The resinous heartwood of the Aquilaria tree, agarwood is regarded as the most expensive wood and oil in the world. A multi-billion dollar market demand and dwindling supplies make agarwood an excellent investment opportunity.
Indigenous to the tropical forests of Southeast Asia, the Aquilaria tree grows fast, achieving maturity in around 7 years. But it isn’t the tree itself that is valuable, but rather the aromatic resinous heartwood that forms inside the tree as a natural defence against infection. This naturally occurring process is extremely rare, with less than 5% of trees producing the precious substance.
The resin, which is dark brown or black in colour is so highly prized and sought after that almost all of the natural trees have now been cut down, to the extent that it is now listed as a protected species by CITES. This means that only plantation grown trees may be licenced to be exported, limiting the global supply even further.
Such is its value, Agarwood oil and wood chips can fetch prices ranging from US$5,000 up to a staggering US$30,000 depending on grade.
Uses
The key uses of agarwood are:
Traditional Chinese, Indian, Taiwanese & Tibetan medicines.
Religion where it is used in Hindu, Islamic, Buddhist and Christian ceremonies. (Also used in marriage and burial ceremonies.)
Perfume, Aromatherapy & essential oils
Market Demand
Demand for high quality agarwood has increased dramatically but as stocks from the traditional agarwood sources are rapidly dwindling the various markets are having to seek other ways of securing supplies of the precious ’black gold’. A 2010 article in the Gulf news reported that “imports of agarwood or oudh increased by nearly 300% in four years (2004-2007)”.. Source GulfNews.com Oct 23, 2010.
There are around 80 countries that import agarwood annually but the biggest importers of the commodity are the UAE, Japan, Saudi Arabia and Taiwan. The largest exporters are Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. The value of agarwood exported from Singapore alone has been estimated to exceed $1.2 billion per annum (United Nations FAO)..
By the early 1990s, the aquilaria tree had been harvested to near extinction in Southeast Asia and was classified as an endangered species leading it to be placed on the Convention for International Trade in Endangered Species (CITIES) list. The listing makes it illegal to harvest or trade the commodity without a CITIES permit. Private sector investment in commercial and sustainable plantations has led the drive to protect the trees in the natural forest by providing a viable substitute. Yet at present, only 35% of global demand is being met by the agarwood producing countries (Forest Research Institute of Malaysia).
Growth in the population and affluence of consumer markets in Japan, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has seen demand for agarwood soar particularly over the last few years. This demand has resulted in stocks in the wild virtually disappearing, pushing up prices and leading to real concerns over future supplies.
Virgen Plantations and its partners were among the first organisations to identify a viable sustainable alternative and have tailored an exciting investment solution for clients. We obtain existing mature Aquilaria plantations and then treat them with a patented process that guarantees every tree produces agarwood.
This particular investment is typically classed as a short to medium-term investment that can produce returns from as early as the end of the third year from the investment date.
1) This oil is water distilled from fungus infected wood of the tree Aquilaria Agallocha, growing in northeastern India. Agar Oil is pale yellow to brownish yellow or dark amber viscous liquid of rich and sweet woody, almost balsamic and with a sweetness similar to that of sandalwood oil.
2) This is a large evergreen tree, 18-21 meters, sometimes up to 40 meters in height, 1.5-2.5 meters in girth, moderately straight with an often fluted stem. The leaves are 5-9 cm. long, thinly coriaceous, oblong-lanceolate, and the flowers are white, green, or dirty yellow in terminal sessile or shortly peduncled, umbellate cymes. The scent that most are familiar with is obtained by water distillation from the oleoresin/wood only after this tree has been infected with a fungal infection. Non-infected trees do not produce the highly fragrant oil or wood. This tree is found in various Southeast Asian forests, Bangladesh, Bengal, Bhutan, Burma, China, Vietnam and Cambodia. The scent is reminiscent of vetiver and sandalwood and is extremely long-lasting. It is important for us to note that the infected tree must be at least 50 years old to produce the oil.
3) Also Known As -Aloes Wood, Eaglewood, Oud, Ud, Gaharu, Wood Aloe.
4) Properties – Relieves spasm and epilepsy, inhibits the central nervous system, antibiotic, relieves pain, calming, anti-asthmatic, aphrodisiac.
5) Uses – Traditional medical uses for this product include: asthma, chest congestion, colic, diarrhea, diuretic, kidney problems, nausea, thyroid cancer, lung tumors and as a general tonic in China. In Indian Ayurvedic medicine it has been used as a cardiac tonic and carminative (relieves gas from the intestines). There is some belief that this oil may be useful in treating lymph system disorders, high blood pressure and as an anti-malarial treatment due to its chemical composition and components. It is felt that because of the difficulty in receiving this oil, alternative medicine practitioners have not investigated it. It is non-sticky and can be applied directly to the skin or can be thinned in jojoba oil. This is one of the most precious and expensive of essential oils and is truly amazing. It should be experienced by any connoisseur of essential oils. You only need to use a tiny amount of this oil at a time; be prepared for the slow release of its aroma over the next 12 hours. There is no other known oil that is this tenacious.
6) Blends with – The warming, balancing, purifying, deep woodsy, and transcendent qualities of this most unique oil blends well with Carnation, Geranium, and Sandalwood.
7) It has long been an olfactory prize for discerning noses. Agar oil, is highly valued and universally prized as ‘Otto of Roses”. Agar though little known in Assam and the North – East is a highly sought after comodity, and the premiums it commands today in the international markets has dramatically transformed the lives of families and economies of areas where its trade exists or where it is procured. One such area that has reaped and flourished from this wonderful resource is the Hojai Sub-division of Nagaon district.
8) The use of agaru is prehistoric. The aromatic Aloe wood mentioned in the Bible was no other but the heartwood of Aquilaria ovata, or agar. There is mention of the use of Aloe wood(udul-Hind) in Paradise as incense in the famous Ahadith – Sahi Al – Bukhari. Agar also finds a place in the travelogues on ancient Kamrup by Chinese pilgrim Hiuen – Tsang, besides earning a mention in Abhijnanmam Shakuntalam of Kalidasa and Arthashastra of Chanakya.
9) Agar is inextricably linked to Assam’ s rich cultural heritage. In antiquity, Assam’ s monarchs employed the used bark of the Sasi Agar tree for chronicling their royal circulars and diktats.
10) The first historical biographies in Sanskrit –the Harsha Charita written by Bana in 652 AD also chronicles the fact that among the many gifts sent by Assamese king Bhaskara Varman to Harsha, volumes of fine writing in leaves made from aloe bark and balck aloe oil occupied a very prominent place. The Nowgong grant of Balavarman gives a graphic desciption of Pragjyotisha nagara where areca nuts are wrapped in leaves of creeper of betel-plants and Krishnaguru(telegu for Agarwood) or black aloe wood trees were surrounded with cardamom creepers. It is also recorded that after conquering the last king Gaur Gobind in 1348AD ,in Sylhet ,Saint Fakir Ali Shah Jalal and his followers found agar wood and agar attar along with many other valuables in the royal store. This clearly indicates that distillation of agar oil was done as far back as 13th century or even much earlier. Abul Fazal Allami in his Ain-I-Akbari (memories of Emperor Akbar written in 1590 AD gives a vivid description of agarwood and agar oil along with their manufacturing process and uses. It is also said that the Mughals invaded Assam mainly for agaru..such was it lure.!!.
11) Revered Vaishnava saint – reformer and literary giant Sri Sankardeva, Vaisnavite saint Shri Madhab Deb also used sheets of the Agar for giving a written expression to their sermons, widely using agar for their sacred scriptures . Sri Sankardeva is also believed to have said that agar and chandana are the two divine trees capable of fulfilling human desires. Religious puthis and history was also written and copied on specially treated bark of agar trees, known since time immemorial as Sanchipat and puthis, numerous puthis some dating back to as far back as 500 years ago are still preserved in quintessentially Assamese sacred repositories such as Than,Satras and Namgarh.
12) It is nothing but a rare fungus that attaches itself to the agar tree that has made agar such a valuable and sought after product. This fungus once it establishes itself on the tree turns the woody trunks into a deep brownish black colour. The darker the woody bark turns due to fungal infection, the more valuable the wood It is the fungus that gives the agar wood its unique aroma, when it is burnt. The oleoresin is usually found where the branches fork out from the stem. Agaru or agarwood is the heavily oleoresin impregnated solid chips of wood obtained and processed from the fungus affected part of the trees. Devoid of the fungus, the agar tree in itself has no value. So it is natures value addition to the tree that commands a premium in the market.
13) The uses of Agar are many. Its aromatic bark popularly known as Agar Batti is used as incense in many a home. Its by-product Agar oil used as a base for Attars and perfumes. The heavy base notes of the Agar oil lends itself to blend well with other essential oils such as rose,ylang ylang ,and jasmine that collectively power the perfume industry,the world over. Some European perfume houses especially seek out Agar oil to create heavier muskier perfume that have enhanced Agars demand and thereby carved a special niche market for these agar dependant perfumes.
14) Agar Oil also has therapeutic uses as it is used in a large number of Unani and Ayurvedic medicines. Interestingly agar is also used to flavour common and widely used betel nut preparations such as Pan Parag and and Baba Zarda.
15) In Hojai,is sold at a rate of 100-6000 rupees per tola or 11.62 grams. In economic terms ,its value is pegged at one and half times the price of gold.
16) Once the Agar wood is procured, t is classified on the basis of quality. The less darker pieces are put into larger water drums to soften.
Once these wood pieces soften, they are ground into a powder and are put into vessels called Degs with water. Degs are then heated so as to encourage the ground agar to release the oil within it. Once the water inside the Deg reaches a certain boiling temperature then the oil from the wood along with the water vapour reaches a container called the vabka. Before reaching the vabka the water vapour that passes through a steel pipe between the Deg and the vabka is cooled what therefore reaches the Vabka is a combination of water and agar oil,with the oil floating over the water. This oil is carefully extracted with a fine syringe and then stored into a fine glass bottle to be sun –dried for the final product –the Agar Oil.
17) The need for research into this dwindling valuable resource is compelling .Except in Nagland, there is no Agar left in India. Traditional sources are drying up. Reserves in Kalibanthan and Salabasi in Indonesia are also diminishing day by day .Fortunately for traders,new sources have been discovered in Maraoca near Indonesia and Pupua New Guinea, Laos and parts of Java.
Gaharu thieves, mainly from Thailand and aided by locals and big-time financiers, are now operating in conservation forests in Sabah after they have virtually raped existing forests in the peninsular.
By BI Reporters
LAHAD DATU: Gaharu thieves have infiltrated the Maliau Basin Conservation Area (MBCA), dubbed as Sabah’s ‘Lost World’, in search of the precious agarwood (or gaharu) which, when processed can fetch thousands of ringgit in the international market.
This was the shocking discovery made during a ten-day intensive resource and wildlife inventory survey to the pristine rain forest by local researchers, including Emin Madi, a BERNAMA writer, recently.
Several members of the survey team not only found hard and fresh evidence of encroachment such as bullet casings, camping sites, hunting and fishing paraphernalia and graffiti on tree trunks but even came into close encounters with a band of suspected poachers or gaharu collectors.
Although gaharu, also known as agarwood or ‘black gold’ given its preciousness and value, is now being cultivated in plantations, it is still the variety found in the wild that finds premium prices by international buyers..
The Borneo Insider understands that gaharu thieves, mainly from Thailand and aided by locals and big-time financiers, are now operating in conservation forests in Sabah after they have virtually raped existing forests in the peninsular.
Among those experimenting with cultivated gaharu in Sabah are the Forestry Department as well as the Sabah Land Development Board which has a trial plot in Nabawan and also Litang, Lahad Datu.
But it is the private sector, including former Chief Minister Datuk Harris Salleh, who are already years ahead in this crop.
Sandalwood has been in use for at least 4,000 years of the oldest incense materials. It is a very important ingredient in Japanese and Chinese incense, in both traditional and modern formulas.
Middle eastern countries covet the sandalwood oil which can command prices of up to thousands of ringgit based on its quality.
The gaharu tree grown in the wild can reach more than 50 meters tall. The tree reaches its full maturity in 60 to 80 years, which is when the center of the trunk has achieved its greatest oil content.
As the tree grows, the essential oil develops in the roots and heartwood, which requires at least 15 to 20 years. Full maturity is reached after 60 to 80 years. The core of dark heartwood gradually develops,, which is covered by outer sapwood.
Sandalwood essential oil is distilled from the roots and heartwood of trees. The scent, called chandana, is in aromatherapy used to induce a calm and meditative state. The lasting fragrance only improves with age.
According to mythology, sandalwood originally grew only in heaven’s gardens. Temple gates and religious statues are carved from the wood because of this spiritual association, the exquisite scent, and because it is impermeable to termites and other insects.
Sandalwood also has an age-old reputation as an aphrodisiac, and in fact, its fragrance is similar to the human pheromone, alpha androsterole.
The scent of sandalwood has a soft, warm, woody, and balsamic fragrance.
Its therapeutic properties includes – antidepressant, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, astringent, sedative, insecticide, urinary and lung antiseptic; relieves lung congestion and nausea.
One of sandalwood’s most important uses is to sedate the nervous system, subduing nervousness, anxiety, insomnia, and to some degree, reducing nerve pain. Researchers have found it relaxes brain waves..
Suitable for all complexion types, it is especially useful on rashes, inflammation, acne, and dry, dehydrated, or chapped skin.
At one time gaharu poachers were known to be operating in the jungles of Pensiangan as well as the Marak Paak Forest Reserve, and the Borneo Insider believes that the Forestry Department is well aware of this crime.
Gaharu also known as agarwood, aloeswood or eaglewood is the resinous, fragrant and highly valuable heartwood produced by the Aquilaria tree which has been widely used by the aromatic industry.
When the trees were infected with mold, it begins to produce an aromatic resin in response to this attack. As the infection grows, it results in a very rich, dark resin within the heartwood. The resin is commonly called gaharu, jinko, aloeswood, agarwood, pokok karas or oud and is valued in many cultures for its distinctive fragrance, and thus is used for incense and perfumes.
Aquilaria spp. tree is an evergreen angiosperm of the family Thymelaeaceae (Ng. et al., 1997). The mature tree could grow up to 40 meter high and 60 centimeter in diameter with moderately straight stem. It bears white flowers that are sweetly scented. A total of about fifteen (15) species of Aquilaria have been reported and have significant commercial value. These species include Aquilaria malaccensis, A. agallocha, A. baillonii, A. crassna, A. hirta, A. rostrata, A. beccariana, A. cummingiana, A. falaria, A. khasiana, A. microcarpa,, A. grandiflora, A. chinensis or A. sinensis. A. boneensis, and A. bancana.
Aquilaria species, generally, have smooth, thin, pale, gray bark with dense, dark foliage of shiny elliptical to oblong leaves with average leaves size of 7.5 – 12 cm long and 2.5-5.5 cm wide (Ding Hou, 1960). A shade-tolerant tree, Aquilaria is an understory tree of mature evergreen and semi-evergreen forest occurring at low to medium altitudes, generally up to 1000 m above sea level depending on the type of species. All these Aquilaria species are significantly important for gaharu industries.
In the market, gaharu is the trade name generally refers to “fragrant wood” or “scented wood” or “aromatic resinous wood” source from Aquilaria spp. timber tree. This fragrant wood has several other common names, such as “agarwood, eaglewood or aloeswood” (English), “agor” (Bangladesh), “akyaw” (Myanmar), “calambour” (French), “adlerholz” (Germany), “kalambak, calambac or tengkaras” (Kalimantan, Sabah and Sarawak), “kikaras” (Sundanese), “alim, halim or karek” (Sumatra), “agaru or sasi” (India), “kanankoh” (Vietnam) and “Ch’Ing Kui Hsiang, Ch’En Hsiang, Chan Hsiang, Chi Ku Hsiang or Huang Shu Hsiang (China).
Gaharu served as raw material for the production of many aromatic medicinal products, such stimulant, tonic and carminative medicine. The essential oil extracted from the wood served as constituent of medicines for palpitation of the heart and other ills (Burkill, 1966). For an example, in Japan, the “scented wood” has also long been used as incenses for stomachache remedy and sedatives of the Oriental medicine as well as used to anoint the dead (Okugawa et al., 1993). In India, the essential oil extracted from the “scented wood” has been used in the production of perfume and other new products such as gaharu essence, soap and shampoo (Chakrabarty et al., 1994). In Malaysia, Gaharu continue to be highly demanded by the cosmetic and manufacturing industries..
For more than 200 years, Gaharu has been traded across Europe and Asia. The main consumers are from the Middle East and China (Burkill 1935). In the Middle East, particularly the Arab, gaharu are largely used as incense in religious ceremonies or spiritual rituals.
Currently the demand for gaharu is high and large quantities are traded in domestic and international market. Internationally, gaharu are widely traded to the Middle East, China, Taiwan and Japan in the form of solid wood to be used as incense for traditional and religious ceremonies, medicinal purposes, and in distilled pure resin form for perfume and perfume component. The traded price ranges from low to extremely high depending on the values and qualities of the gaharu produced.
Annual Gaharu exports from Malaysia amounted to RM72mil a year. In Peninsular Malaysia, approximately 0.5 million kg of gaharu was exported from 1998 to 2003 which contributed an estimated amount of RM36 million to the national economy.
Agarwood trees are able to be harvested after 7 years of planting. Inoculation process can be applied when the tree is 5 years old and it can produced excellent Agarwood continuously over the 2 years.
Gaharu can be produced through conventional and non-conventional methods. Conventionally, gaharu is produced by wounding the Aquilaria tree involving slashing with parang or knife in order for the trees to be infected and begin to produce aromatic resin. On the contrary, non-conventional method for the production of large volume of quality gaharu from Aquilaria tree is also available and continuously explored.
Currently China is the biggest consumers of gaharu with an import of 500 tons per year. The biggest consumers of agarwood products are Middle East, Taiwan and Japan whereas the biggest exporter of gaharu is Indonesia.
Many of you will be familiar with the smell of synthetic Oud in modern perfumes. This is not what we are talking about. We are talking about oud from nature, from a tree. Most of you would not have come across this smell in daily life unless you have spent some time in an Islamic culture. We will explore this culture today through the prism of scent.
Oud is highly valued by perfumers for its sweet, woody, aromatic and complex scent. It is a classical note in perfumery, most often used as a base note.
Oud is also called Agarwood. It comes from the wood of the tropical Agar (Aquilaria) tree, believed to have originated in the Assam region of India, and spread from there throughout Southeast Asia. When the wood of this tree gets infected with a certain mold variety (Phialophora parasitica), it reacts by producing a precious, dark and fragrant resin from which is where the perfume ingredient is derived.
The first thing your sense of smell picks up in an Arab house is the heady aroma of Oudh wafting in the air..
Oudh is considered as a supreme fragrance in the Gulf countries.
In Qatar, Oudh is burned as a mark of respect and hospitality and is a traditional gesture of welcoming and honouring guests. In fact, Oudh is considered an important feature at most social occasions..
Oudh, which simply means wood in Arabic, has an extraordinary pedigree. Also known as aloes and agarwood, Oudh is found in the forests of South East Asia.
It is an aromatic resin found in certain species of Aquilaria and Gyrinops trees. The resin is produced by the tree as an immune response to a fungus – Phialophora parasitica – that invades the tree and over many years spreads through it.
It is believed that it takes as long as 300 years for the fungus to spread through the bark of the tree. Unlike the otherwise pale wood of the tree, infected sections are dark and extremely heavy. In fact, the Chinese and Japanese terms for Oudh translate as ‘the wood that sinks in water’.
The best grade of Oudh is hard, nearly black and very heavy. In general, Oudh becomes inferior as it becomes lighter in tone, flecked with diminishing amounts of resin.
Higher graded agarwood with resinous heartwood will be sold in pieces at higher prices; such higher graded agarwood would be processed and cut into dark or black heartwood for selling in pieces. The wood pieces cut out from such higher graded agarwood and other lower graded agarwood can be put together and used for distilling agarwood oils.
1. Agarwood should be cut into small pieces and dried under sunshine for two to three days..
2. Small dried pieces of agarwood should then be crushed into small grains and soaked in water. Smaller grains increase surface area for extracting oil.
3. After the fine grained agarwood has been soaked in water for around two weeks, they are taken out from water and put into the boiling pot. Water is added until it submerges the agarwood grains and boiling starts..
4. When the pot is heated above boiling temperature, water and agarwood oil will be vaporized. After condensation with cooling water, the steam and agarwood vapour are collected into metal containers in liquid form in a distillation process that takes around 5 to 6 hours.
5. In the metal containers, agarwood oil will be floating in a separate layer with water because of different densities; water is then separated from agarwood oil which is collected as Grade A product.
6. Continuing the distillation process for 7 to 8 more days, all high quality agarwood oil from wood pieces will be collected.
7. Agarwood residues from the distillation process will not be wasted, but are used for making scented joss sticks after drying under sunshine and grinding into powders.
Vietnam Agarwood 