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Agarwood, aloeswood, eaglewood, gaharuwood, commonly referred to as oud or oudh (from , ), is a fragrant, dark and wood used in incense, perfume, and small Woodworking.
It forms in the heartwood of Aquilaria trees after they become infected with a type of Phaeoacremonium mold, P. parasitica. The tree defensively secretes a resin to combat the fungal infestation. Prior to becoming infected, the heartwood mostly lacks scent, and is relatively light and pale in colouration. However, as the infection advances and the tree produces its fragrant resin as a final option of defense, the heartwood becomes very dense, dark, and saturated with resin. This product is harvested, and most famously referred to in cosmetics under the scent names of oud, oodh or aguru; however, it is also called aloes (not to be confused with the succulent plant genus Aloe), agar (this name, as well, is not to be confused with the edible, algae-derived thickening agent agar agar), as well as gaharu or jinko. With thousands of years of known use, and valued across Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Chinese people cultures, oud is prized in Middle Eastern and South Asian cultures for its distinctive fragrance, utilized in colognes, incense and perfumes.
One of the main reasons for the relative rarity and high cost of agarwood is the depletion of wild sources.Broad, S. (1995) "Agarwood harvesting in Vietnam" TRAFFIC Bulletin 15:96 Since 1995, the CITES has listed Aquilaria malaccensis (the primary source) in its Appendix II. CITES (25 April 2005) "Notification to the Parties" No. 2005/0025 . (PDF) . Retrieved on 22 July 2013. In 2004, all Aquilaria species were listed in Appendix II; however, a number of countries have outstanding reservations regarding that listing.
The varying aromatic qualities of agarwood are influenced by the species, geographic location, its branch, trunk and root origin, length of time since infection, and methods of harvesting and processing. Agarwood is one of the most expensive woods in the world, along with African blackwood, sandalwood, pink ivory and ebony. First-grade agarwood is one of the most expensive natural raw materials in the world, with 2022 prices for superior pure material as high as US$150,000/kg, although in practice adulteration of the wood and oil is common, allowing for prices as low as US$100/kg. A wide range of qualities and products come to market, varying in quality with geographical location, botanical species, the age of the specific tree, cultural deposition and the section of the tree where the piece of agarwood stems from.Dinah Jung, The Value of Agarwood: Reflections upon its use and history in South Yemen, Universitätsbibliothel, Universität Heidelberg, 30 May 2011, (PDF) p. 4.
In the Hebrew Bible, "trees of lign aloes" are mentioned in The Book of Numbers 24:6Numbers 24:6, KJV and a perfume compounded of aloeswood, myrrh, and Cassia bark is described in Psalms 45.Psalms 45: "All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad."
In the Gospel of John, Jesus’s body is prepared for burial by binding it in linen wrappings with seventy-five pounds of aloes and myrrh (John 19:39).
Dioscorides in his book De materia medica (50 to 70 CE) described several medical qualities of agarwood (Áγαλλοχου) and mentioned its use as an incense. Even though Dioscorides describes agarwood as having an astringent and bitter taste, it was used to freshen the breath when chewed or as a decoction held in the mouth. He also writes that a root extract was used to treat stomach complaints and dysentery as well as pains of the lungs and liver. Agarwood's use as a medicinal product was also recorded in the Sahih Muslim, which dates back to approximately the ninth century, and in the Ayurvedic medicinal text the Susruta Samhita.
As early as the third century CE in ancient Viet Nam, the Chinese chronicle Nan zhou yi wu zhi (Strange things from the South) written by Wa Zhen of the Eastern Wu Dynasty mentioned agarwood produced in the Rinan commandery, now Central Vietnam, and how people collected it in the mountains. During the sixth century CE in Japan, in the recordings of the Nihon Shoki (The Chronicles of Japan) the second oldest book of classical Japanese history, mention is made of a large piece of fragrant wood identified as agarwood. The source for this piece of wood is claimed to be from Pursat Province (based on the smell of the wood). The famous piece of wood still remains in Japan today and is showcased less than 10 times per century at the Nara National Museum. Agarwood is highly revered in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Chinese folk religion.Monica Furlong (1986). Zen Effects: the Life of Alan Watts. Houghton Mifflin. p. 196. . .
Starting in 1580 after Nguyễn Hoàng took control over the central provinces of modern Vietnam, he encouraged trade with other countries, specifically China and Japan. Agarwood was exported in three varieties: Calambac (kỳ nam in Vietnamese), trầm hương (very similar but slightly harder and slightly more abundant), and agarwood proper. A pound of Calambac bought in Hội An for 15 taels could be sold in Nagasaki for 600 taels. The Nguyễn Lords soon established a Legal monopoly over the sale of Calambac. This monopoly helped fund the Nguyễn state finances during the early years of the Nguyen rule.Li, Tana (1998) Nguyễn Cochinchina: southern Vietnam in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Southeast Asia Program Publications, Ithaca, New York, p. 79, Accounts of international trade in agarwood date back as early as the thirteenth century, with India being one of the earliest sources of agarwood for foreign markets.
Xuanzang's travelogues and the Harshacharita, written in seventh century AD in Northern India, mentions use of agarwood products such as 'Xasipat' (writing-material) and 'aloe-oil' in ancient Assam (Kamarupa). The tradition of making writing materials from its bark still exists in Assam. It is still used in traditional Chinese herbal medicine where it goes by the name of Chén Xiāng - 沉香 - Literally meaning 'sinking fragrance'. Its earliest recorded mention is from the Miscellaneous Records of Famous Physicians, 名医别录, Ming Yi Bie Lu, ascribed to the author Táo Hǒng-Jǐng c.420-589.Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica Revised Edition by Dan Bensky (Author), Andrew Gamble (Compiler),
Long term Agar wood forms in the trunk and roots of trees that have been penetrated by an Ambrosia beetle insect the Dinoplatypus chevrolati first discovered by Stephan Alexander Peter, feeding on wood and oily resin. The tree may then be infected by a mould, and in response it produces a salutary self-defence material to conceal damages or infections. While the unaffected wood of the tree is relatively light in colour, the resin dramatically increases the mass and density of the affected wood, changing its colour from a pale beige to yellow, orange, red, dark brown or black. In natural forests, only about 7 out of 100 Aquilaria trees of the same species are infected and produce aloes/agar wood. A common method in planted forestry is to inoculate trees with the fungus. It produces a "damage sap" and is referred to as "fake" aloes/agar wood.
Oud oil can be distilled from agar wood using steam; the total yield of oil for 70 kg of wood will not exceed 20 ml.Harris, 1995
Oud scent is popular in the Middle East, the Arab world, and in Arab culture, where it is used as a traditional aromatic and perfume in many forms. Oud is also one of the reasons why the Arab region developed trade routes in ancient times. Popular amongst Muslims, it has been traditionally used in Mosques where the incense chips are burned.
* Sri Lankan agarwood is known as Walla Patta and is of the Gyrinops walla species.
In addition, agarwood plantations have been established in a number of countries, and reintroduced into countries such as Malaysia and Sri Lanka as commercial plantation crops. The success of these plantations depends on the stimulation of agarwood production in the trees. Numerous inoculation techniques have been developed, with varying degrees of success.
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