The History of Oud
Agarwood has been used for medicinal and spiritual purposes for centuries. It appears in one of the oldest human texts, and several religions burn agarwood to aid meditation.
Agarwood is a new woody scent in the perfumer's organ and has been considered for many years as one of the essential ingredients of perfumery in Muslim culture.
Description and origin of oud
Agarwood is a rich, fragrant, woody compound produced by tropical trees of the genus Agarwood when infected by a certain fungus called Phialophora parasitica.
Infected trees produce a rare and precious resinous Oud, also known as agarwood. It comes mainly from Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, and India and has a dark, intense, woody aroma.
Only 1% of the samples contained the valuable agarwood resin, a defense mechanism secreted by trees when infected by certain fungi, but since it was impossible to guess which one it was, a considerable portion had to be cut down. These agarwood trees are now protected in many countries. Some trees are now artificially inoculated with the fungus to boost production.