Bakhoor – a unique way to admire agarwood scent

Agarwood, also known as oodh, oudh or oud, is the ingredient for essential oil worn traditionally by both Emirati men and women. It is recognized one of the most expensive wood in the world for possessing a special natural aroma, oriented by sweetness and spice. It is such a distinctive memorable scent that every visitors to Dubai soon learn to associate it with the UAE.
Agarwood is derived from resin inside the Aquilaria tree, which has been injured by natural disaster, thunder, bacteria or micro-creatures. The possibility that aquilaria trees produce agarwood is very low (only 10%) whilst they grow randomly and rarely in the forest, usually in difficult-to-reach places. That is the prime reason for the extremely high value of natural agarwood.

People of different regions have different ways to admire the mystic scent of agarwood. Some burn it directly on charcoal, some grind it to make agarbatti, but some Emiratis convert it into bakhoor.

First originated with Arabia’s nomadic Lavantine tribes, agarwood was burned for fragrance and insects deterrence. Nowadays, the usage continues under another form: bakhoor. With its scent permeating the air in five-star hotels, shisha lounges and private Emirati homes, bakhoor, beyond a kind of perfumes, is the soul of Dubai.

Bakhoor, or bukhoor (البخور) is the Arabic name given to agarwood chips that have been soaked with jasmine and sandalwood to soften and sweeten the heavy scents, or amber and citrus essential oils to add scrisp notes to the rising vapours. They are then compressed and shaped in flat blocks segmented into equal portions.
bakhoor

At home, pieces are burnt over a charcoal stove or electric burner to release plumes of fragrant smoke to fill the room. It is great home fragrance and used on special occasions such as wedding, love ceremonies, or for welcoming guests. Women use it to give their clothes an exotic seducing smell. It is traditional in many Arab countries to pass Bakhoor amongst the guests in the Majlis (Arabic, meaning sitting room) as a gesture of hospitality.

Bakhoor or Bukhoor is not a self-lit substance as incense sticks, so you will need to burn it on an electrical burner or charcoal. Let the smoke fill the air but not too much since this takes oxygen from the room. Do not open the windows until the room is saturated with the fragrance carried by the smoke of Bakhoor.

If you are looking for a source of high-quality agarwood in order to make bakhoor, please have a look at our store, where many types of Vietnamese agarwood are ready for you to choose. We are a professional expert in agarwood manufacturing, from planting Aquilaria Crassna, implanting bateria into the trees, to extracting essential oil and making incense sticks.