A gift from Irene of Rauchfahne, who as well as running her incense blog, also makes her own incense. Hers is not a commercial operation. She makes incense for herself and friends. After she sent me her Swiss Stone Pine, which I adored, I asked her to send me some more, and insisted on paying for it. I also asked if I could say that she would make incense on request for people. She was pleased to get an order from India. But, as she is an admin on the Reddit incense forum, there was a bit of a nonsense from one member of that forum, about a conflict of interest. I know this hurt and embarrassed her. She is the most ethical person I have encountered.
I have just bought an adjustable electric incense burner from AliExpress, and I thought this would be a good opportunity to try it out. It was slow warming up, and as it was new to me, I also set up my NKlaus tealight candle incense burner, which I am familiar with. With both burners the incense takes a LONG time coming to life.
Irene says that the incense is based on a little known traditional Japanese incense called Nerikoh, which means "kneaded incense". My understanding is that this was a form of Japanese medicine. Frankincense, as I have been learning, has proven medicinal properties, which may also have some benefit for people with certain cancers. These nerikoh incense balls contain small amounts of frankincense wrapped in fruits and/or honey, and were a means for people to consume frankincense as a medicine or palliative. Irene (SamsaSpoon) talks about nerikoh, including the recipe, on Reddit, here and here.
Irene says that the incense is based on a little known traditional Japanese incense called Nerikoh, which means "kneaded incense". My understanding is that this was a form of Japanese medicine. Frankincense, as I have been learning, has proven medicinal properties, which may also have some benefit for people with certain cancers. These nerikoh incense balls contain small amounts of frankincense wrapped in fruits and/or honey, and were a means for people to consume frankincense as a medicine or palliative. Irene (SamsaSpoon) talks about nerikoh, including the recipe, on Reddit, here and here.
A ball of Nerikoh Night Leaves has been in my electric burner and tealight heater at top heat for over an hour. There is no smoke, and little scent. What scent I am getting is mostly the prune. I have now lowered the incense so the flame of the candle is touching it. There is a gentle scent of frankincense merged with the prune. Quite pleasant. From the electric burner I'm simply getting scorched prune. I have chopped the ball into very small pieces to allow the frankincense to be heated quicker, and now I'm getting some smoke and some fragrance. I have done the same with the ball on the tealight burner, and also getting a positive result. This does seem to be the way forward.
Of the two scents, the one from my tealight is the one I prefer. The scent from the electric burner smells muddled, hot, poorly defined, oddly waxy. The one from the tealight smells pure and pleasant.
I am fascinated by this incense. There's a mature wine aroma combined with soft resin. I find it a pleasant, soft, fruity scent, but it's the story behind this nerikoh type incense that has mostly caught my attention. As part of the process, the fruit based paste or dough containing the fragrant ingredients is buried for a period of time (three years according to Susanne Fischer in The Complete Incense Book) in order to ferment. There is a distinct fermented aspect to the aroma of the pellet as it is warmed. Though Fischer talks about Nerikoh in relation to the fragrant pellets used in Koh-do, the ceremony or game of "the way of incense", she does make mention of the production process being similar to "popular medicine", and this is what I've read elsewhere. It kind of makes more sense for it to be a medicine to be eaten rather than an incense to be burned. Though it could be used for both.
I am delighted and intrigued by this incense, and Irene has again amazed me by what she has sent. Though as an incense to be burned for its fragrance, I wasn't that impressed. It took a long time to get at the scent - though I think I have learned that it is best to break the pellet into very small pieces and inflict on it as high a heat as possible, and that the candle flame works better than the electric burner, even on top setting. However, even when the scent was broken open, I liked it rather than was inspired or lifted by it.
Date: Feb 2025 Score: 30
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Hey Steve!
ReplyDeleteI see the electric burner you got only reaches 260°C, there seems to be the genal opinion that this is too less heat for some incense materials. I bought one that reaches 300°C (or at least, that's what the display says) but I was told even that is too low temperature for agarwood and some bakhoor.
That being said, I'm surprised that you needed to apply that much heat to my Nerikoh, but then again, I remember our disagreement over if there needs to be smoke for something to be considered incense. ;)
I never set my tealight heater so low that the flame is touching the top part. For me, most incense smells scorched if I apply that much heat.
I often do break up the pellet, but usually only after I have heated the incense for quite a while and I sense that it's nearing its end.
I love to heat Night Leaves in my bedroom before going to sleep, I find the scent very comforting.
Did you ever smell pure Labdanum?
I want to point out that I don't do the burying thing, but I let it mature in a ceramic pot.
A detail I missed to mention is, that the wrapping I use for Night Leaves are corn cob husks.
I should do a tutorial on how to make those bundles, as it is such a lovely, all natural way to pack kneaded incense!
I love the packaging, and I'm surprised at how pliable yet tough it is. Are you aware of tree shaping and living bridges?
DeleteWhen I lowered the incense so the candle flame touched it, the incense didn't scorch, even when I broke it open. Is it possible that the moisture from the prune protected it?
DeleteThere was some smoke after I broke the pellet open. Not much, and mostly from the electric burner. Pleasant scents accompanied the smoke.
I have read about Kho-do, and the need to concentrate fully on the scent, and to avoid distractions. I did try that, but - I confess - I am not a patient person, so my mind did drift away. I can and do often fully focus my attention on stuff, but it does tend to be more vibrant and interesting stuff. I can get locked into research or music or paintings - but I do need some feedback. Without sufficient feedback I lose interest. I think that is a normal, healthy human (indeed, living thing) reaction. We thrive on feedback. Yes, too much feedback can be overpowering, frightening, disturbing, and I don't like that either. I think it's about finding the right balance for ones self.
I am a little saddened that the electric burner I just bought sounds as if it's not going to be that useful. It looks nice! But so far I prefer my candle burner.
DeleteYES! Tree shaping and living bridges are the coolest shit ever!
DeleteThe husks are a bit like crepe paper, it's stretchy to a degree and tough enough to be twisted and knotted.
Yes, I get the puff of smoke as well when I break them open. :)
I think I sent you some more kneaded (and pressed) incense. I wonder how you'll get along with those. I'd say Night Leaves is a reasonable strong one, there are some who are more delicate. I'm a bit afraid you won't smell them at all.
I know that the quality of the candle can affect the flame and therefore how much heat the incense is receiving. Maybe your candles burn less hot than mine?
Your heater should be ok with most resins, herbs and I guess spices. And I think you can heat oils in it, and likely those wax melts.
I also prefer tealight heaters.
I'm burning your "Dragon" at the moment. I'm getting mostly curry spices, herbs, and a bit of maple syrup. When the burners are low I get hardly anything. A little too high on the electric, and the aroma becomes muggy like old, damp clothes; a little too hot on the candle, and it scorches and becomes acrid. I'm still searching for the perfect heat/height.
DeleteMeanwhile, I'm looking up some of the ingredients which I'm not familiar with. And ending up ordering stuff! I've just ordered some copal resin, and various incenses from Sons of Asgard (but, thanks to this ridiculous Brexit shit, won't post to most countries in Europe, including Germany - rest of the world, fine, but not Europe).
I need to look closely at the rules they are talking about, and which even the rabid right-winger Clarkson, whose fake news and mockery of the EU was the principle driver behind Brexit, has complained about in a recent article: Brexit Makes Me Want To Sit In A Gutter And Weep.
I don't want to mess up and cause problems for either of us.
Yeah, Brexit is just such a massive pain in the ass. :(
DeleteThere's a UK-based Etsy shop for resins I'm very fond of: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ResinaeBotanica
I am sure that Irene can be a top-notch incense designer if she decides to start her own house! She is puristic but also appreciates what modern materials have to offer. I think she should give it serious thought without putting much at stake :)
ReplyDelete