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Thursday, October 28, 2010

wowww..

original copy & paste from http://www.arabianoud.com/en02/news_details.asp?news_id=24

oud to joy
مارس 2009
Have you ever wandered through Ajman city centre and been arrested by a fabulous aroma drawing you back to its source like a magnet? If so, you have probably been walking past an oud shop which stocks exotic fragrances from all over the Arabian world. But how much do you actually know about where oud comes from or how it's processed?
Oud is on of the most mysterious perfumes known to man. Legend has it that when Adam was expelled from Heaven he took a leaf of the Aquilaria tree with him. As the leaf dried, it scattered through out south East Asia, producing trees with a heavenly scent.
Lure of the east
The romance doesn’t end there. During the16th century, Arabs traveling through India were beguiled by the beautiful fragrance surrounding them. They were told it came from the wood burning in the fires. The visitors were given some oud as agift, which they took back to Arabia. Such was its popularity, that one of the men returned to settle in India, and regularity sent the oud back to Arabia. When an Aquilaria tree is affected by a fungus, it produces a romantic resin in response to the attack.
This resinous heartwood is called Garwood or oud.Originally, the fungus formed after the tree was infested by woodworm in order to produce the fungus.
According to shadi samra customer relations manger at Arabian oud,"the oud comes from the oldest trees, about 75 to 150 years old, infected at least 60 years ago".
During the dry, winter season, trees are uprooted and the infected parts are removed, smoothed and cleaned. They are then categorized according to quality, each with its own characteristics. One way of the testing is to actually taste it, the more bitter the taste the better the quality. Color is also informative, and a good oud should be uniform both inside and out. One kilogram of the best oud can cost as much as Dhs 200000

demand?

Oil production:
It requires one kilogram of oud to produce 3-9 ml of quality oil. Samra describes the process:" the oud is crushed and pounded into very small piece, then soaked for five to 30 days. Some rare kinds take six to 12 months. The oud ferments before being placed in a pot where the distillation process begins. The oud is heated continuously from seven to 60 days, depending on the type of oud. The oil evaporates and is passed through a condenser after which the oil is collected from the surface of the water by hand. "It is a lengthy process. This oud oil is called the first picking, and the process is repeated until four grades have been collected. Oud water is the water from which the oil has been extracted, and is used as a room or a laundry spray. The pure oud oil can be blended with other perfumes or used as incense. The beast oil can cost Dhs 4000 for 10 ml.
The future
Samra explains that as oud ages, it becomes more precious".
However, the demand for oud is exceeding the supply, and the old trees are nearing extinction. The whole trees have to be felled in order to access the inner layer. However samra adds that new developments in produce require less oud to produce the same amount of oil. Hopefully, we will soon be able to afford this beautiful scent without using too many Aquilaria trees in the process

oud.

Oud-based fragrances have long been a major occupation for the notables of Arabia. A renowned Arab Caliph once said “If I were a merchant, I would only trade in Oud perfume, so that if I did not make a profit, I would have profited from its sensational scent”. Choosing a fragrance truly reflects one’s individuality

Apa guna gaharu?

Kegunaan Gaharu
Gaharu digunakan dalam pelbagai cara termasuk perubatan tradisional, artifek-artifek seni dan pati minyak. Gaharu dibakar untuk menghasilkan bau-bauan yang wangi sejak dahulu lagi oleh orang-orang Cina, Arab, India dan Jepun yang mana ia banyak digunakan dalam perayaan-perayaan, adat dan keugamaan.

Gaharu?

Apa itu Gaharu ?
Gaharu adalah sejenis damar yang terbentuk secara semula jadi akibat daripada tindak balas pokok gaharu ke atas serangan fungus/bakteria atau dikenali sebagai fasarium lalu menyebabkan pokok bertindak balas dan sakit (penyakit). Pokok yang diserang menyebarkan sejenis minyak berbau bagi melindungi bahagian yang cedera ( sama ada akar, batang, dahan dan sebagainya ) di mana minyak ini lama kelamaan akan menjadi keras ( damar ).