Incense GlossaryAgar - Aloes wood. Aloes was the "original" incense, so frequently the word "agar" is used to mean simply "incense". Agarbatti - Incense sticks. Attar - a fragrant essential oil or perfume obtained from flowers. Batti (sometimes Bathi) - Sticks. Benzoin (also Loban) - Balsamic resin of the Styrax benzoin, or Benjamin tree. Champak (also Champaka or Champa) - Balsamic resin of the Michelia champaca tree. It is native to India and has fragrant orange-yellow flowers. Chandan - Sandalwood. Dhoop - A special kind of incense, frequently burned in temples. The incense ingredients are made into a paste and formed into rolls, also called "pastels" or "logs" which can sometimes be quite large. Durbar - A characteristic, traditional incense recipe in which the paste of ingredients, which contains no fragrance-producing ingredients, is rolled around the stick and then dipped in a fragrance-producing oil. Frankincense - An aromatic gum resin obtained from African and Asian trees of the genus Boswellia. Gulab (also Gugul or Gugal) - Rose. Heena Kesar Kasturi - Musk. Khus (sometimes Ruh Khus or Khus-khus) - The aromatic root of the Andropogon muricatus grass, also called Vetivert. Koh - Incense. Makko - Charred coconut husk, used as a scent-free carrier for many types of incense. Masala - A characteristic, traditional incense recipe in which the paste of ingredients contains the material that produces the fragrance. There are usually no essential oils used, the fragrance being produced, rather, by herbs, spices, woods and so forth that are incorporated into the paste before being rolled around the stick. Mattipal - Frankincense Mogra (also Mugra) - Jasmine. Neroli Simpoi - A characteristic Tibetan-style incense stick, primarily based on Deodar Cedar, which is not rolled around a central bamboo stick, as are most Indian-style incenses. Sugandha - Incense. |
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