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Saturday 30 May 2015

Nag Champa


An essence from the flower of the champak tree
 is a key ingredient in Nag Champa

Nag Champa is not a brand name, it is a scent which belongs to the champa group of floral Indian incense, in this instance using the scent from the flower of the magnolia champaca, or champak tree, from where it gets the "Champa" part of the name. The "Nag" part comes from an Indian name for the flower. In Sanskrit, "naga" means snake or cobra, and some part of the plant is supposed to resemble a snake. As well as essence of champaca, Nag Champa contains sandalwood as a base ingredient, and individual makers will then add other ingredients. In traditional masala incense, the tree resin halmaddi may be used as a fragrance fixative.

Nag Champa is associated with Satya's Nag Champa in a blue box - it is the world's best selling and most popular incense. Most incense manufacturers will have a Nag Champa as part of their range, but the quality will vary considerably, as will the actual aroma. Some incense enthusiasts feel that the halmaddi resin is an essential ingredient in Nag Champa, though this is not the case. Halmaddi is a traditional fixative in Indian incense manufacture, and will aid the aromatic qualities of the incense in which it is used, in the same way as other fixatives, such as gum Arabic, DEP, or - less commonly -  vanilla (famously used by HMS). Enthusiasts may prefer Nag Champa made with halmaddi, but it is not an essential or distinctive ingredient, any more than it would be in Mogra (jasmine) or Chandan (sandalwood) fragrances.

Champa when used alone appears to refer to plumeria or frangipani, a fragrant flowering shrub, rather than the champaca of Nag Champa, which is a plant in the magnolia family, so I assume the Nag part of the name signifies that it is champaca rather than frangipani.


Reviews


* = Review over five years old so may not be reliable


B.G Pooja Store Nag Champa (M)
Aug 2023 - Score: 48=


Vijayshree Golden Nag Champa Masala Cones 
April 2018* - Score: 41


Elbenzauber Nag Champa (M)
Feb 2024 - Score: 40 


Satya Sai Baba Nag Champa Agarbatti
Sec 2022 - Score: 40


Happy Hari's Nag Champa Gold
Dec 2017* - Score: 38


  
Shekhar's Nag Champa 
Nov 2022 - Score: 38


Satya Sai Baba 
Nag Champa Dhoop Cones
Dec 2021 - Score: 37↑



Tulasi Nag Champa Incense Sticks
April 2023 - Score: 35 


The Indian Connection Nag Champa Gold
Dec 2017* - Score: 35



Goloka Nagchampa
Score: 35


 
Shanthimalai Nag Champa 
Score: 35






 Nitiraj Red Nag Champa
Score: 33


Nandita Organic Nag Champa
 Score: 33

  
Ullas Black Nagchampa (M)
Feb 2024 - Score: 33

  
Gonesh Extra Rich Nag Champa (P)
May 2024 - Score: 33


 
Score: 32 


Number of scents: 27
Top score: 48
Low score: 18 
Average top five: 41 
Total score: 31

***



Best Scents


Champa

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