May’s – ‘The Fragrance Issue’ – Download NowOud – or Oudh – is one of the costliest uncooked perfume components in the world. Known in English as ‘agarwood’, the worth of a kilo of oud may be simply as costly as a kilo of gold, generally much more. With an immediately recognizable woody scent, the perfume ingredient originates from the bark of timber that are solely discovered in South East Asia.It’s a scent that has develop into synonymous with the Middle East over hundreds of years and may be traced again to the roots of the time of Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H). “He began the custom of fumigating oneself with oud – a observe that’s adopted by Muslims immediately,” Fathiya Al Marzooqi, the co-founder of Alchimie tells Emirates Woman. “The Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) referred to oud as an merchandise discovered in Paradise.”It’s an inherent half of life in the Arab area and as half of Arabic tradition in normal. Today, it’s used as a standard fragrant and fragrance in many varieties: from high-grade wooden chips burnt to welcome company into one’s dwelling, to perfuming clothes and additionally perfuming the family with a wealthy and opulent perfume.To delve deep into the history of oud in the area and the significance it has, EW sat down with two specialists – Fathiya Al Marzooqi, the co-founder of Alchimie and Salim Kalsekar, Managing Director of Rasasi Perfumes.Salim Kalsekar, Managing Director of Rasasi PerfumesWhat are the origins of oud in the Arab area?Oud follows a protracted custom and is used for a range of functions from medicinal, to aromatherapy, to religious and in perfumery, whereas additionally being synonymous with luxurious, exclusivity and intimacy. Known in English as Agarwood, the first recorded use of oud dates again to not less than 1400 B.C.E and has continued all through human history with quite a few references being made in many spiritual texts, poetry and pharmacopoeia.Oud is offered in many varieties from its purest (wooden chips and items), to an oil-dhanal oud (each pure and blended along with different fragrances). Even its by-product merchandise that are normally small items of oud leftover after distillation – oud moattar and its mud dakhoon or bukhoor is used as incense both alone or mixed with different aromatic components.Rasasi Perfumes, one of the foremost perfume homes in the Middle East gives clients a variety of agarwood and dhanal oud merchandise, from common to uncommon and coveted varieties. Rasasi has constructed a popularity for providing genuine agarwood and dhanal oud merchandise guaranteeing that the buyer pays for the actual value of the product. The pure extract from the agarwood tree also called Dhan Al Oudh is one of the most coveted oriental perfumes, extremely desired for its advanced scent that unfolds over a course of many hours imparting an enduring perfume path that’s mysterious, intoxicating and unique, invoking a way of magic and mystique.What is the history of oud in the Middle East?Trade-in agarwood and its merchandise may be dated again to historic instances with some texts even reporting that merchants used the well-known Silk Route to move agarwood from China to the Middle East through India. Traditionally, oud got here from South and Southeast Asia (India, Bangladesh, China, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam), and it was consumed by markets primarily in Japan and the Middle East (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates). Presently, nonetheless, there was an growth each in provide centres (together with Australia and Sri Lanka) and in-demand (largely all through Western Europe).Arabian perfumes have lengthy been alluring the world with their distinct fragrances and are mentioned to be synonymous with historic heritage, custom in addition to high quality luxurious. Often known as black gold, the excessive value of oud is taken into account an indicator of its worth as a valuable and luxurious product, and the high quality of the aroma may be considered as a sign of standing and status.Oud, also called the ‘wooden of the gods’, has been an necessary half of spiritual rituals believed to facilitate a connection between man and the divine. Due to its calming impact agarwood can be burnt throughout meditation. It has been used all through history, both in the type of incense or perfume oil for private grooming, utilized on the hair, behind the ears, neck and garments previous to prayers and social gathering.The burning of agarwood can be thought of a vital customary custom inside the Arab world and significantly in the Middle East, interwoven into the lives of Khaleejis and these inside the Arab area from a younger age. The perfume rituals are so intrinsic to the tradition that many expats residing and rising up in the Middle East have adopted the custom of scenting their houses by burning oud, oud moattar (oud chips soaked in oils) and bukhoor (oud mud soaked in aromatic oils).Which are the most vital moments all through the history of oud?With agarwood having quite a few makes use of from medicinal to perfuming one’s dwelling and clothes, to burning incense chips in honour of visiting company, there are a number of important mentions of the makes use of of oud all through history in the Arabian area in addition to different elements of the world. One of the first references to oud may be discovered inside the Hebrew bible amongst descriptions of perfumes utilized by a bride previous to a marriage ceremony.From the Islamic hadiths there are descriptions that the Prophets appreciated to make use of perfumes and usually used oud to fragrance their clothes, whereas from the narratives of the well-known Arab explorer Ibn Battuta, there are descriptions of the intensive use of perfumes by the Arab individuals in the thirteenth century. In Cyprus in the 14th Century C.E., agarwood was primarily used to deal with a range of medical situations of the ear, eye, pores and skin, bones and far more. In Al-Andalus (Muslin Spain between 900-1500 C.E.), native perfumers utilized fragrant substances of each japanese and western origin with agarwood being one of the prime 5 major components used.The lengthy historic use of agarwood has been related to cultures the place aromatics are deeply ingrained in cultural experiences, equivalent to the Middle East, India, China, and Japan. Among the many accessible plant-based aromatics, agarwood has at all times been amongst the most coveted and multi-functional- used as incense, as fragrance oil, in perfumery as an ingredient, supply of by-product aromatic merchandise, and medical preparations. Historically, agarwood was additionally eaten for medicinal functions in addition to ready as powder and utilized to each pores and skin and garments.The reputation of agarwood has been constant all through history and continues to stay in excessive demand even immediately to be used in conventional and modern incense and fragrance alchemy round the world.What does it add to perfume?As one of the costliest fragrance components in the world with the high quality, rarity, place of origin and nature of the wooden all taking part in a component in figuring out the value, it provides a lot to perfume. Known to return from the wooden of the Southeast Asian agar (Aquilaria) tree; when the wooden of the tree turns into contaminated with a specific sort of mildew, the tree reacts by producing a darkish, scented resin, also known as liquid gold. The older the tree from which the resin is extracted, the dearer the product because it generally takes tons of of years for the wooden to mature and produce a resin that’s wealthy in scent and of a high-quality.When used inside a fragrance composition, oud is most frequently used as a center or base observe. As base notes sometimes type the basis of a perfume, Oud provides a way of richness and opulence to the fragrance with the scent lingering on the pores and skin lengthy after the perfume of the different components dissipate and disappear. The impact an oud observe imparts relies upon upon the origin of the oud. The Indian oud lends a sensual spicy quite animalistic profile to a fragrance, Indonesian oud has a deep woody profile whereas the Cambodian oud is clean, candy and most nice amongst oud varieties.What are the perfect notes to pair with oud?Oud is extremely versatile as a perfumery ingredient and goes nicely with a range of olfactory profiles together with the likes of sandalwood, musk, rose, geranium and carnation to call a couple of.Rasasi has at all times been at the forefront of product innovation and has infused a contemporary attraction to classical oriental perfumery. The introduction of modern notes like white florals, recent inexperienced notes, fruity-florals, fruity accords and different unique and gourmand notes to oriental alchemy has prolonged the attraction of oriental perfumes and incenses to newer audiences whereas additionally wowing current clientele.In your fragrances, what significance does it maintain?Rasasi perfumes add the ingredient of oud to a range of their fragrances because it brings an oriental twist including a contact of opulence and luxurious to the perfume. Oriental fragrances are well-known throughout the world for his or her aura of thriller and opulence. Oud lends the well-known aromatic path to a scent- a lingering scent that may be smelt from a distance and is full of unique mystique. Dhan Al Oud is a logo of the famed oriental fragrance path and is used as a base on which numerous perfumes are layered to create a signature scent that’s distinctive as the particular person. This course of is known as layering.Dhan Al Oud is independently utilized by the wealthy and rich for its distinguished scented and as a logo of standing and prosperity.Fathiya Al Marzooqi, the co-founder of AlchimieWhat are the origins of oud in the Arab area?Commonly often known as ‘black gold’, a kilo of oud may be as costly as a kilo of gold, generally, much more, relying on the rarity of the tree it was lower from. The Arab area can hint again their roots to the time of Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H), who began the custom of fumigating oneself with oud – a observe that’s adopted by Muslims immediately. The Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) referred to oud as an merchandise discovered in Paradise.Oud can be one of the the explanation why the Arab area developed commerce routes in historic instances.What is the history of oud in the Middle East?Oud holds a particular place in Gulf Arab traditions. Walk into any Gulf dwelling, particularly throughout the Eid holidays, and one is welcomed with the scent of burning oud all through the home, and the oil-based oud that adorns males’s conventional thoub costume and females’ abayas.Dubai is the oud capital of the world – the materials is purchased and offered right here on an enormous scale. There are a number of distributors and perfumers right here who promote this prized scent. Oud is greater than only a scent – it’s a complete tradition and there’s no place that appreciates oud like the UAE.Which are the most vital moments all through the history of oud?Oud, well-known to the human nostril for its costly but high quality notes, is surely loved as a novel luxurious in the area for hundreds of years. Carrying distinctive properties, Oud has been historically used in Mosques the place the incense chips are burned, letting out robust scents that may be simply acknowledged from afar.Moreover, coming in numerous varieties together with wooden chips, oils and perfumes, Oud represents standing for a lot of households in the Middle East, leaving a mark with the wealthy perfume wherever they go. They maintain nice significance as it’s utilized by households in each Arab dwelling, in addition to gifting decisions for purchasers, colleagues and kinfolk.What does it add to perfume?Oud provides its wearers a definite persona. No one observe of Oud is the similar which is why it’s used as a base observe with different scents to create one thing that’s timeless but in addition highly effective. We strongly imagine that oud could be very elegant but in addition helps with making the proper impression.What are the perfect notes to pair with oud?This is only subjective however I’m keen on jasmine and musky scents – particularly if they’re earthy.In your fragrances what significance does it maintain?I’ve grown up with having bakhoor in my dwelling. It’s a mainstay in Emirati houses, bakhoor is synonymous with heat, richness and Arabian hospitality. Alchimie’s dwelling fragrances and diffusers pay homage to bakhoor with out the adverse unintended effects – do you know your lung capability and respiration will get affected by burning incense at dwelling and not using a filter? This is why we conceptualized Alchimie and created it.May’s – ‘The Fragrance Issue’ – Download Now– For extra on luxurious way of life, information, vogue and magnificence comply with Emirates Woman on Facebook and InstagramFeature picture: Unsplash @sayakbala & Images: Supplied
