Oud – An Olfactive Rendezvous With God
What’s been untold about the mystical oud or oudh in the world of fragrances may be iterated here for purposes of pleasured reading! Cited as ‘liquid gold’, ‘black gold’, ‘the five thousand per pound scent’, or simply, ‘the wood of the Gods’, oud is an odyssey of time. The potent raw resin has witnessed seasons, calamities, beautiful days, long nights, urbanisation, stories of people, and much more. All endured to produce an olfactive pinnacle that’s bottled exquisitely in perfumes, essential oils or attar, bakhoor and more.
Oud comes from infected heartwood of Agar trees by a type of mould called the Phialophora parasitica to form a dark aromatic resin to protect itself. This resin is the resulting fragrance called oud. Just 2 percent of the total Agar or Aquilaria trees get infected by this mould to produce oud. Geographically, oud is said to be native to the Southeast Asian regions but its charioteer for popularity is credited to the regions of Arabia.
Talk about how to use oud, well, you can of course wear it as a perfume or the more natural attar. You can also burn it as raw wood chips or use it to make bakhoor (hyperlink to ‘What is Bakhoor’ blog) incense to cleanse and add fragrance to your surroundings. Did you know that oud also has many medicinal benefits that have been passed down from generations! Oud is as mystical and multifaceted as it can be. Whether you wear it as a perfume or gift it to a loved one, it’s a must to add to your collection.
And what better time to browse through our Oud gifting collections than in the month of love!
Explore oud in solid form - Oud Bakhoor
Explore oud in liquid form as attars - Attar oils