Did you know that Agarwood derived from the infected heartwood of a family of evergreen aquilaria trees, indigenous to Southeast Asia including India, called as "Diamond in the forest" and even "The Wood of God", is the source of the world's most expensive incense?
Agarwood (or just Agar) is a dark resinous heartwood that forms in Aquilaria trees (large evergreens native to southeast Asia and India, particularly Northeast India) when they become infected with a type of mold. Also referred to as "The Black Gold" as it is the source of the world's most expensive incense, a value more expensive than gold. Agarwood is called as "Diamond in the forest" and, some call it as "The Wood of God".
Agarwood was discovered in Ancient Egypt and also finds mention in Vedic texts of India for the use of incense and perfume. It is also stated, Agarwood is highly revered in the seminal texts of Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism, and Islam. As early as 1400 BC Agarwood was described as a fragrant product in Sanskrit texts, and in 65 AD, Pedanius Dioscorides detailed several medical applications for Agarwood. It is said that mummies of the pharaohs were embalmed in Agarwood paste and so was the case in Japan. In China, the richest got their coffins made in Agarwood. In India, in Bombay (Mumbai now), near one of the two areas that were previously called ‘Portuguese Church’ stands the municipal market of Agar Bazar. It is almost certain that Agarwood was traded at that same spot by Portuguese merchants. Particularly Assam, Mizoram and Tripura, the premier source area within the north - eastern arm of India, have long been considered the cradle of Agarwood culture, particularly by the Middle East market which still values any agar from Northeast India. In use for over 2000 years for medicinal, aromatic and religious purposes, Aquilaria malaccensis is the preferred source of Agarwood for perfumery and religious traditions in the Middle East and in India. In fact ,Tripura’s capital Agartala takes its name from plants name Agarwood. The bark of the tree was used as writing material to write religious scripts in Assam in India. The climatic conditions of these areas favour the plantation of Aquilaria malacensi. There are 25 different species of this archaic tropical evergreen tree found in Southeast Asia. Not all species are found in all Southeast Asian countries; in addition to Aquilaria plants, Agarwood is also produced by some plants of the Gyrinops and other genera. India is home to two Aquilaria species, A. khasiana and A. malaccensis. Surprisingly, even many of us (me, adien included) did not know of its existence.
Major religions had manifested Agarwood in their Holy Scriptures. The odor of Agarwood is complex and pleasing and as a result, Agarwood and its essential oil gained great cultural and religious significance in ancient civilizations around the world. Agar has traveled to different parts of Asia such as China and Japan with the spread of Buddhism from India. Various rituals across Asia include the burning of incense. In Middle Eastern Desert Cultures, it is ground into powder and applied in an aromatic body rub. There is, even, a mention of Agar tree in the Old Testament, with Adam planting this tree, in Paradise Wood, where he settled with Eve. Europeans use its fragrance in perfumed oils. Agar wood’s medicinal properties are recognized by Sunni and Shia Muslims. In particular, in Buddhism, the precious beads used in prayers and rituals by Buddhist monks are made of Agarwood, consisting of 108 beads. Agarwood Oil incense, powder or pieces are offered to Buddha; Agarwood oil is used to burn when meditating, chanting. In Hindu temples and homes, incense sticks used for worship or for fumigation are made with Agarwood oil and hence called the 'Agar Bathi', meaning made of Agar oil as scent and with other materials rolled around a wood stick or wick.
Formation of resinous Agarwood from which perfume compounds are recovered from an Aquilaria tree is a rare event in nature that is complex and is poorly understood. The resin is produced in an immune response to attack from fungi or injury. Growers say a borer insect called Zeuzera conferta Walker also plays an important role in triggering disease and formation of resin in Agarwood. An Aquilaria tree has wood that is white, soft and without scented resins. Once the infection develops, it is located deep within the trunk and resin formation changes density of the affected wood and transforms it to a dark brown or black colour. So whole trees are felled indiscriminately to recover the molded dark wood. As a result this tree is a step away from extinction in the wild. Latest IUCN estimates say “deforestation has led to an 80% population decline for the species over the past 150 years.” However, due to acts of deforestation and premature harvesting of the trees artificially infecting of trees is done with fungus, creating artificial wounds, and injecting chemicals into them. These vicious and thoughtless act works to trigger the defence mechanism of the tree, to force it to release the resin, from which the aroma is derived.
In Assam, which is the heart of the multi-crore Agarwood (A. malaccensis Lam.) trade in India with more than 10 million Aquilaria trees in plantations, at least 100,000 people are directly dependent on Agarwood oil industry. Agarwood oil is obtained using a hydro distillation where an aromatic chemical is extracted from Agarwood chips by steam and condensed which provide relatively high yield of product and low cost of running the process.
Some tribal people use Agarwood to treat stomach ailments, body aches, and fevers and also as repellant against various forest insects.
Trees of 80 years old are known to be the richest in their content of Agarwood, essential oil content varying from 6.9 kg to 9.0 kg per tree. Agarwood with more than 25 % oleoresin content will sink completely in water. This is stated to be of the highest quality and commands the highest price. It can be worth as much as $12,000 per pound or $ 20,000 per liter for the perfume extract in certain parts of the world.
It takes at least a couple of decades for the formation and harvest of Agarwood trees in the wild. Nowadays due to artificial induction of infection to reduce dependence on wild population, the duration has shrunk to five to 10 years but the quality of oil may be inferior.
Since 1995 Aquilaria malaccensis, the primary source of Agarwood has been listed in Appendix II (potentially threatened species) by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. In 2004, all Aquilaria species were listed in Appendix II. In India, Agarwood is a protected species under the Indian Forest Act, 1927, and is scheduled tree species under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
- Narasipur Char
