Incense in The Wind: Benzoin / Loban / Sambrani

Tuesday, 31 March 2020

Benzoin / Loban / Sambrani

Benzoin is a core incense; it is burned for its cleansing power and other properties rather more than the aesthetic qualities of the aroma, which can vary from neutral and mineral via pine and medicine to pleasantly sweet with balsamic vanilla notes. It is often used as an ingredient in masala incense as a fixative or a sacrificial element to make the main fragrance brighter. Like frankincense and myrrh it is a tree resin. I've read that it comes from the storax tree, also that it comes from the sal tree. There is some uncertainty about benzoin both as to its source, and to what it actually is - I've seen it referred to as frankincense, as loban, and as sambrani. While frankincense is not benzoin, loban and sambrani are. They are the Indian names for benzoin - loban is used in the north, while sambrani is used in the south.

Sambrani cups are very popular in India, and have been available in the UK since at least 2017. I like sambrani - it is a fragrant tree resin, like frankincense, myrrh, dragon's blood, etc. It is also known as benzoin and as loban (among other names). It has a number of uses, including medicinal, as well as being a fragrance ingredient due to its fixing quality and sweet vanilla scent. It is particularly popular in India where it is burned as a single ingredient as part of a cleansing ritual. Typically when burned as part of a cleansing ritual, it will either be in a sambrani cup, such as Raj Guru Vandana Sambrani Cup, or a thick dhoop, such as Ambica Pooja Sambrani.

Kinkele says that loban/benzoin has an "enveloping, soothing, protective cloak inviting us to relax and dream", which is rather nice.

A reader, Chris, has said: "I've bought several loban and sambrani incense and none of them have smelled even remotely like benzoin resin. Either these descriptions have become stylized (I've had frankincense incense labelled loban before), or maybe sambrani uses another part of the styrax tree rather than the resin. Benzoin resin is sweet smelling and vanilla dominant. I'd be suspicious of any benzoin resin that isn't."