Where is the market for agarwood

How is it used?

Agarwood is traded in the form of wood pieces, chips, powder and oil. International trade in agarwood is estimated at 6 million kilograms per year but this does not include the trade of other agarwood products like oil and incense. The value of agarwood re-exported from Singapore alone each year has been estimated to exceed US$1.2 billion..

The main importing countries are Taiwan, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Japan.

Prices of agarwood from natural forests can exceed $10,000/kg. Cultivated agarwood from plantation trees is currently retailing at the equivalent of US$5,000/kg.

Oil prices are typically around US$8,000/kg but high quality oil can sell for over US$50,000/kg.

Agarwood smoke (from burning agarwood) and oil are used as customary perfume in the Middle East.In Europe, agarwood oil is a key component in the perfume M7 by Yves Saint Laurent.

In the East, agarwood is valued in Aurvedic, Tibetan and East Asian medicine for its ability to treat a range of disorders. Agarwood is also used by Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus as incense in religious ceremonies. Agarwood essences are used to fragrance soaps and shampoos, and the popularity of highly priced essential oils reinforces the value of agarwood derivatives. In Taiwan agarwood is an aromatic ingredient in local wines.

Quote from site www.vnagar.org

Burning Agarwood

Actually there is no special way to burn aloes wood (agarwood) you only needs charcoal that have been burnt until it is red, then place the Agarwood over the charcoal which would you burn.

But there is also a unique way, some people do something else in burning aloes wood (agarwood), there is little difference, that is, before the aloes wood (agarwood) is placed above the charcoal,, they put aloes wood (agarwood) into their mouths, suck the small chips of aloeswood that they will burn, not a big piece of aloes wood (agarwood), the point is, they dampen the aloes wood with saliva, so that if you burn it over charcoal, then the wood will burned slightly – by little, burn longer than wood that has not dampened.

If you put aloe dried over charcoal, charcoal will directly burn the wood immediately, if the wood was wet, it will not directly burned, the wood will burn longer.

I do not teach you dirty, you can use the water, without need to use saliva, you just dip in water, then sprinkle and place it over charcoal.

Tips of burning Agarwood

When burning Oud wood chips, it is always better to burn it ‘clean’ on a mica plate that can commonly be found for burning incense. This will ensure that you get a ‘cleaner’ scent out of your burned Oud wood, as burning on coal requires that you not prepare the coal too hot, lest you will have some ‘coal scent notes’ together with your Oud wood scent during fumigation.

The best way to optimally heat up the coal is not through the stove but rather by a blowtorch lighter you can get for lighting up cigars. Just aim to torch the far sides of the 4 sided squarish coal instead of the middle part of it, and immediately place your Oud chip on the middle spot once you have done lighting. The heat from the sides will slowly move up to the middle of the coal and will give the slow burning effect on your Oud. The scent will be longer lasting and better smelling (without the coal notes) this way. The traditional way of burning is with a burner and coal and that is how we like to do it.

Quote from site www.vnagar.org