What is oud?

Precious piece of Vietnamese agarwood oud chips

Agarwood, better known as oud, is a material omnipresent in Western perfumery, with a history as complex as its scent, yet still largely unfamiliar. Although often associated with the Middle East, oud actually has a universal, millennia-old history that makes it one of the most precious and sought-after aromatic materials. While the word now appears on many perfume bottles as a mark of luxury, genuine oud is rarely found in formulas. This divine aroma-described in many cultures as the scent of the gods-results from a long, complex production process that is difficult to master, making it one of the most expensive fragrant materials, with a price per kilo approaching that of gold.

Agarwood is the product of an infection in trees of the genera Aquilaria or Gyrinops, both belonging to the Thymelaeaceae family. In self-defense, the trees produce an aromatic resin that slows fungal development, boosts their immunity, and darkens the heartwood. The darker the wood, the richer it is in aromatic resin. It then becomes dense and heavy-hence names in various cultures such as the Japanese jinkō, “the wood that sinks.” Uninfected wood remains white and is used as firewood. Between the two lies grey wood, which is distilled to produce a paste called boya, with a sharper, more acidic scent than oud, and also used in perfumery.

The essential oil used in perfumery represents only a small share of agarwood’s overall trade. Traditionally used as incense in the Middle East, agarwood is sold as chips-small blackened pieces of wood for burning-or as sticks made from powdered agarwood. Widely used in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda, agarwood also circulates in medicinal preparations and capsules. The leaves of oud-producing species are likewise used and consumed as herbal tea with multiple benefits.