WHAT IS BAKHOOR?
Bukhoor or Bakhoor is an Arabic name for a kind of wood chips in perfume oil. When you burn Bakhoor in a traditional incense burner, its unique and exquisite fragrance spreads everywhere. Burning Bakhoor is also part of Arabic customs and culture.
Bakhoor can be in various shapes, such as chips, blocks, or balls. Many use it in most cases during special occasions, such as weddings, or simply for relaxing purposes. In Arabic cultures, passing Bakhoor among guests is a typical gesture. They consider it to be as essential to hospitality as coffee and dates are.
THE MAKING OF BAKHOOR
Bakhoor is made primarily from natural ingredients, and each maker has its secret recipe that distinguishes them from the others. Some of these makers inherited the art of Bakhoor-making from their ancestors and still pass the recipe from generation to generation.
In Oman and other Arab countries, they call it Bakhoor, while those in the Gulf know it as Bukhoor. They are the same, but in Yemen, Bakhoor is handmade using the “cooking method”, while other countries use the “baking method”. The longer the bakhoor is stored in closed glass containers, the stronger the scent becomes.
Bakhoor is made of wood chips immersed in fragrant Oud oils; which is the oil extracted from the rare Aquilaria tree. An infectious form of mold takes hold of the tree’s heartwood and creates a dark fragrant resin that releases the oil.
Further terms such as Muattar and Mamool refer to chips soaked in fragrant oils that are primarily from the Aquilaria tree wood. Other words such as Mabsoos and Mabthooth are the shavings that are used and soaked in fragrant oils of aquilaria tree wood. Ultimately, the term Bakhoor seems to include Muattar, Mamool, Mabsoos, and Mabthooth.
THE HISTORY OF BAKHOOR
Mesopotamia created the first-ever written, scientific, and judicial system-The Hammurabi Code. The land between the rivers Tigris and Euphrates was the birthplace of the ancient civilization known to man.
Mesopotamia encompassed many city-states and civilizations, of which Babylon and Sumer were the most prominent. Societies cherished their surroundings, like temples and deities, and would assign special scents and perfumes to various idols. They claimed that the incense had brought them closer to their gods. People at that time used to either purchase the ingredients or plant them. Like Ancient Egyptians, only the upper classes could afford to buy quality ingredients. The most extensive use of incense was holy, but individuals loved decorating themselves with scents.
Mesopotamia was a highly cultured civilization. Using Cuneiform, one of the oldest writing systems, they would write down the names and quantities of each plant, oil, and wood they mixed together to produce their luscious scents. They would also document in depth the process they used to create blocks or oils to perfume themselves and their surroundings. They produced luxury scents of costly ingredients for their religious rituals. One recipe for Nazi, the Sumerian word for incense, which was burnt for their gods, was inscribed and translated:
3 parts Cedar shavings, 2 parts Juniper, 2 parts Cypress, 2 parts Tamarisk.
They merged this blend into blocks and then burned them in a decorated ceramic incense burner to create a lush fragrance that honored the temple and its guests. They used floral perfumes, such as jasmine, as well as frankincense, for their hair. Musk and mastic were also popular with those who could afford them. Oil perfumes, such as the ones we use nowadays, were also available. The Mesopotamians grew their ingredients by themselves. And they obtained the things they did not find by trade.
TYPES OF BAKHOOR
Natural Oudh Wood Chips
Wood chips have various types of fragrances that are distinct and do not smell like perfumes. The fragrances vary from one another because of the aromatic qualities of agarwood. Such as geographical location, branch, trunk, and root origin. As well as the duration of infection, and methods of harvesting and processing. Natural wood chips are burned as naturally as they are, without any artificial intervention. The lovely scent already comes from the heartwood of Aquilaria trees. This type of incense is lavish and costly since it is scarce. These wood chips are not oily, they are rough in texture.
Loose Fine Oudh Incense (Bukhoor)
This type of incense is Mabthooth, which is a loose Bakhoor. It is made from the shavings of Agarwood, which is then made into tiny pieces, combined with natural resins, such as Arabic gums and aromatic stones. They then soak the mixture in either natural essential oil or in fragrance oil. In certain cases, fine Oudh wood powder is basically made into small balls or coins by adding more gums.
Incense Sticks
Incense sticks are made from punsticks and fragrant oil. Agarwood or any kind of wood is soaked in fragrant oil, dried then crushed to form a stick. Afterward, it is placed under the sunlight for 3 days to dry. Many consider the use of incense sticks to be the slowest method of burning incense. This means that the smell would be able to reach a greater distance and hang onto the air for longer periods of time. Incense sticks improve the mood and lift the spirit. Unlike other types of Bakhoor, incense sticks do not need a Mabkhara or charcoal. One can simply burn it using a lighter and put it far away from anything that could catch fire.
THE BENEFITS OF BAKHOOR
Calming the Mind
Many consider the fragrances of Bakhoor to give rise to a natural sense of calmness in both the body and mind. This is perfect for minimizing anxiety and reducing any form of fear that you can feel. Since you will calm down, you will be more likely to concentrate on your tasks and execute them without any kind of second-guessing. Deep breaths allow the scents to spread all over your body and enable you to settle down with their soothing effects.
Harmony and Balance
When you feel out of balance, you find that your life is becoming messy. You can’t get a grip on your feelings. You also feel that your home atmosphere is out of control, adding to the problem. Bakhoor is an option for many people. Again, it comes down to Bakhoor’s capacity to quiet the mind down. It makes you take a look back and put your life in order. This makes for a more stable and healthier life.
Creating a Link with God
The smoke of Bakhoor carries with it the prayers that you make to God. That is why Bakhoor has such a common fixture in so many Islamic households for centuries. Bakhoor opens the door to increased true wisdom and allows you to connect freely with God. This is one of the reasons why Islamic families have always burned Bakhoor on Fridays, which they consider the holiest day in the Muslim faith.
The Medical Benefits
Beyond helping you gain mental and spiritual stability, Bakhoor can help with a variety of mild physical illnesses. It is a diuretic with antimicrobial effects. Many that have respiratory issues, such as asthma, find that Bakhoor can ease their symptoms and make them breathe more easily. Beyond that, people with epilepsy also experience similar calming effects by using Bakhoor.
In conclusion, Bakhoor is a type of oil incense. Many use it to help relieve stress and stimulate the mind as well as the body. It has a range of medicinal, religious, and ceremonial benefits and usages. It tends to increase concentration and has the potential to relax the nervous system.
