Sweet, sultry, musky, woody. Yummy. The Asian agarwood (oudh) incense I've had has never approached the richness and depth of Middle-Eastern or Indian versions of agarwood. Asian oudh is generally minimalist and dry, even rough. Middle-Eastern and Indian tends to be soft and warm like velvet with a delicious sexiness. I am not entirely certain of the reasons for this difference, but I can speculate, and others can speculate. Powdered wood is preferred in Asia (usually Japan, China, Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam), while oils are preferred in India and the Middle-East - and oils are rich and intense. Heady incense is preferred in India and the Middle-East. Restraint is preferred in Asia (well, traditionally in Japan - though the most commercially successful incenses in Japan in modern times are incenses made in India). Synthetics are are more widely accepted in India (and synthetics can deliver the essential character of a fragrance as a reasonable cost), while in Asia there is a greater focus on natural - which puts financial pressure on the incense maker, which can only be realistically resolved by a high retail price or by using cheaper natural ingredients, such as powdered agarwood which has little fragrance. Other speculations are available from your local store.
Sai Handicrafts is based in the Home Counties of England, and is owned by Pinkesh Parikh. He sells at festivals during the season, and at Hitchin Market in Hertfordshire the rest of the time. He also has a website, Sai Handicrafts, where all the Indian goods he imports - bells, hangings, and crystals as well as incense, can be bought. Pinkesh told me he made the incense himself, but I suspect that was just a tease, because the style, quality, and price of the incense he sells is very reminiscent of incense made and sold in the holy city of Vrindavan in northern India, such as by Vrindavan Bazaar and Rasbihari Lal & Sons. If you're in the UK, buying from Sai Handicrafts is going to be quicker, cheaper, and easier than buying from a trader in Vrindavan. I am not certain the incense is made in Vrindavan, but it is very similar. I will sit down and do a side by side comparison one day. For now, it is just a comment that the incense is similar, and worth exploring if you like Vrindavan incense.
The scent on the stick is earthy - rich, damp soil touched with barnyard and infused with sandalwood and dark magic. Sinister and compelling and dangerously attractive. The scent on the burn echoes that on the stick though with sultry sweetness and wisps of florals and honey. This is a gorgeous incense - cheap as chips and easily available in the UK. There's no gamble involved in trying this out, and the potential is for a huge reward if you like hand-rolled artisanal incense rich with oils.
Available from Sai Handicrafts at £2.00 for approx 20gms. Only ships in the UK.
Ooh, this looks tempting. Do include this in my sample collection.
ReplyDeleteI've included this and a few others sold by Sai.
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