I've just been reviewing a bunch of Chinese incense I got via Temu. Like these sticks made in Pondicherry for the French shop Aromandise, Chinese incense uses wood powder as the combustible. I've struggled with wood as the combustible over the years, as I feel the scent of the burning wood intrudes. But burning the Chinese incense was fun, and it got me tuned into how to approach incense which uses wood as the combustible: give the incense some space - don't get too close. I've been doing that more and more over the years, but I am going to pay particular attention to doing that with wooden incense in future.
In addition, I noted that I didn't get an allergic reaction as I burned the Chinese incense. I often get an irritation in my eyes, nose, or mouth when burning incense that has wood or wood resin, due to the terpenes in the wood. But that didn't happen with the Chinese incense. Perhaps that is an indicator that there is not much fragrant oil in the woods they use. I like heady incense, but I got attuned somewhat to the delicate and subtle nature of both the Chinese and the Japanese incense I've been exploring recently. Pondicherry incense tends to have a soft scent, yet can still provoke a strong reaction. Is that due to the quality and purity of the oils used, rather than the amount?
I like patchouli oil. I like it as a perfume on my body, and as an incense. It is one of the few fragrances where I am quite happy to have it as a single scent. I find patchouli rich, sexy, complex, and beautiful. So I am curious as to how I will respond to this Pondicherry made patchouli given that I tend to find Pondicherry made incense rather dry and boring.
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| Ingredients: Wood powders, patchouli powder, benzoin resin, patchouli essential oil |
The scent on the stick is a temperate floral perfume with some peppery dry wood and a mild, cool volatility. Scent on the burn follows pretty much the style and scent of other Pondicherry incense. Dry, sombre, peppery, woody. It's like a little bonfire of dry autumn leaves. It's a brown twiggy incense. I'm not getting the sweet, musky, sexy aspects of patchouli that I love, nor the fresh, green, minty florals. No. I've taken my experience with the Chinese incense, and kept my mind open, and my distance from the incense as it burns. But it hasn't worked. What dominates for me is the Pondicherry peppery brown twig scent.
Available from Aromandise, or Padma Store, or other outlets.
"What dominates for me is the Pondicherry peppery brown twig scent." - Many houses, especially from Tamil Nadu, where Pondicherry is, tend to use huge amounts of residues from distillation. For example, elemi residue, benzoin residue, and even residues of spices. These materials tend to smell peppery, and once added with the sawdust as an additive, they tend to smell harsh, spicy, and rough. The reason why these are added is because the local taste is towards this kind of scent. But the problem is that these materials dominate. I am not sure if Pondicherry Aromandise incense makers also follow the same; I am just putting a story from the industry.
ReplyDeleteThat makes sense. My assumption for years has been either that all the incense for all the brands related to Pondicherry were made by the same house or organisation, or that they were sharing a local tradition. They are so similar.
DeleteDo you know of incense houses in Tamil Nadu which are not in Pondicherry or Auroville? One of the best incenses I've had was a Nag Champa from B G Pooja Store in Tiruvannamalai. He had branded the incense with his store name, but I suspected he had not made the incense himself. Eugene of Bhagwan Incense sent it to me. I raved about it, and now it is sold in America. Two others from the same shop I didn't like much, and one, Natural Bathi, I commented reminded me of Pondicherry incense. And Tiruvannamalai is in Tamil Nadu.
Yes, in fact, there are many houses in Tamil Nadu, Steve. Tamil Nadu has many ancient temples still in full use, and these temples created their own cities and economies. The incense tradition in Tamil Nadu is very strong but very local. However, some brands like Kangaroo (GN 1917), Giri Traders, and Chamundeshwari are known outside Tamil Nadu. Ambica Durbar is a brand from Andhra Pradesh that is similar in terms of prominent aromatic character (spicy character) but quite smooth.
DeleteYou may want to look at Giri's online store. They are big in this business and commission their own products also. https://giri.in/collections/agarbatti
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