IngredientsBeginner1 min
Aquilaria, the oud tree
Where does oud come from? The story of a tree turned olfactory gold.
Aquilaria is a tree from Southeast Asia. Apparently healthy, it produces a treasure only when wounded: infected by a fungus, it secretes a dark, fragrant resin — oud.
This resin saturates the wood for years, sometimes decades. That slowness is what makes it rare: a kilo of quality oud can be worth more than gold.
In the Middle East, oud has been burned as incense for centuries. In modern perfumery it brings depth, smoke and an inimitable woody sensuality.