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Agarwood

The Unique Fragrances of Agarwood

Agarwood (Aquilaria spp.) fragrance and its origin in stress make it probably the most suitable model to study stress-induced aroma. Production being confined only to certain small pockets of South and Southeast Asia, agarwood is arguably the costliest wood in the world. Formation of fragrant agarwood resin is the outcome of complex biotic, abiotic, and physical stress on the Aquilaria trees. The intricate mechanism by which some 150 odd fragrant molecules that constitute agarwood aroma is formed is still not clearly understood. The present review therefore aims to bring to focus this less known but highly valuable stress-induced aroma from Asia. [...]

Cracking Down on Illegal Agarwood Logging

Illegal Agarwood logging is a massive environmental and economic problem that has plagued governments for decades. One of the principal causes of deforestation of the Agarwood tree in Asia, illegal logging can take a variety of forms, from harvesting the oud oil from protected areas to felling protected tree species to falsifying timber licences. Many international organizations have taken a stand against illegal logging, and consumers are now demanding stricter standards for imported timber. Illegal Agarwood logging can have far-reaching and devastating consequences. The widespread deforestation it causes can inflict huge damage on animal habitats, and can deprive local communities of [...]

Why is Agarwood Oud Oil so Expensive

To be blunt about this, the one thing a fanatic could not call Agarwood oil or "Oud Oil" as it is more commonly known as is cheap. The most affordable Oud oils are on the lower end of $200 per Tola. This is a price that many would still feel is unusually high for an oil of any kind. Of course, Oud oils are not your typical oils, being a much high caliber with a much more complicated distilling process. In fact, these differences are a major reason why the prices for Oud oils have reached over of $5000 per Tola [...]

Why are Agarwood Investments so Profitable?

When one stumbles across something as special and revolutionary as an Agarwood investment, it rarely remains a secret for very long. If something comes along and flips everything on its head, changing the market entirely and reshaping people’s ideas of what that market could be, everyone will want to get their hands on it. It’s basic knowledge and yet you have to wonder why this is. And in the case of Oud Oils, there are various answers to this looming question. And if we dig into these reasons, we will find that the sheer nature of the Agarwood investment lends itself [...]

Agarwood Market Demand

The consumer market for Agarwood is well developed in the Middle East and Northeast Asia where Agarwood has been used for over one thousand years. Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong and Bangkok are major traders of Agarwood while Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia are major producers. The increasing scarcity of illegal forest Agarwood makes plantation grown Agarwood much sought after to meet global demand. Taiwan has long been a major trader in Agarwood for both medicinal and cultural uses. According to official records, 6,843 tonnes of unprocessed Agarwood was imported to Taiwan in the ten years to 2003. Prices of Agarwood for [...]

Agarwood in History

The “Wood of the Gods” has at least a 3,000 year history in the Europe, Middle East, India, Japan and China. It was believed that only Kings and the very wealthy were able to benefit from its powers. The tragedy of the agarwood industry is that the whole of the tree has to be felled to obtain the valuable inner layers. Not all trees contain the agarwood in the wild and there are occasions where 10 trees will be cut down to find agarwood in only one. Unsustainable Agarwood harvesting in natural forests has resulted in near extinction in many areas [...]

Why Agarwood Oud Oil Has Become More Precious Than Gold

While Asian and European markets have traditionally favored softer floral and citrus scents, global consumer tastes are moving toward those derived from the aromatic oils of oud, sandlewood and amber long associated with the people of the Gulf. Oud, known in English as agarwood, originates from the barks of trees that only grow in parts of South East Asia. For thousands of years, it has been used in the Middle East and Asia in the form of wooden incense chips, body oils and fragrance, becoming synonymous with hospitality in the Arabian Peninsula. Its smell varies from person to person, and is [...]

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