What is Bakhoor?
Bukhoor (Arabic spelling: بخور), or Bakhour or Bakhoor is an arabic name given to type of wood chips soaked in perfume oils. When bakhoor is burned in traditional incense burner, its exotic and beautiful aroma spread in environment and make it pleasant. Burning Bakhoor is also a part of Arabic traditions and culture.
The appearance of Bakhoor can take different shapes – it can be in form of chips, blocks or balls, or in chocolate shape.
What is Bakhoor Made Of?
Generally, when we refer a woodchip as Bakhoor then it means the chip encompasses muattar, mamool and mabthooth. Mabsoos/Mabthooth is generally referred to specific term for when shavings of oud wood are also used and soaked in fragrant oils.
What is the difference between Oud and Bakhoor fragrances?
There is a lot of confusion among the people and incense lovers about the difference between Oud and Bakhoor. In simple terms, Oud specifically refers to the raw agarwood chips(small pieces of agarwood tree’s wood) that have undergone minimal processing (cleaning/polishing) and thus considered completely natural.
These Agarwood chips are extracted from the trees that produce the resin, typically the Aquilaria species.
Bakhoor generally refers to processed incense which contains various ingredients, usually the natural ingredients but not necessarily. Some Good quality bakhoor chips or incense also contain Oud/agarwood either in form of attar oil or in wood powder form.
The most of the easily available Bakhoor in market typically comprises various synthetic aromatic compounds due to which in certain cases it might have an oily appearance.
How to Choose Good Quality Bakhoor?
If you’re a newbie or haven’t used the Bakhooe before, you need to pay attention to pick the right quality bakhoor chips.
The Bakhoor typically available in market is often low class. Some vendors sell bakhoor saying it contains significant quantity of Agarwood. Please note that Agarwood/Oud is high cost material and if you are getting cheaper Bakhoor then probably it either does not contain Oud or very poor quality of Agarwood has been used in it.
However, there are manufacturers who indeed value the process of incense-making and manufacture the high-quality Bakhoor using top grade Oud, incenses and natural perfume oils. Though their products are expensive than the rest available in market.
How to Use/Burn Bakhoor at Home?
There are different ways people use to consume bakhoor. The most common way of consuming bakhoor is by burning them so that the beautiful aromatic molecules released by it can be spread into environment.
To burn Bakhoor at home, you will require to keep below things handy:
- bakhoor chips
- Incense burner or mabkhara
- charcoal discs
Once you’re done with these basic pre-requisites to burn bakhoor, follow the below process:
- Put charcoal disk inside the Incense burner (Also referred as Mabkhara0
- Apply fire (matchstick or lighter) to the plate till you see sparkles crossing the coal
- Soon after, you’ll observe gray ash over the top which means the disc is already hot enough to put bakhoor on it.
- Now place the bakhoor on disc and you’re ready to experience the fascinating bakhoor aroma
When you are done with process of burning bakhoor, cowl the mabkhara with a clay dish to stifle the coal plate and only wipe out the coal once you you are sure that it’s absolutely cold.
The bakhoor releases unique rich fragrant smoke that scent your home.