Burning Incense

I bought a packet of sandalwood incense last week just for fun. Went home and lighted one in my bedroom. Hmm..this stuff is calming and the fragrance is nice and mild.

Any other 'flavours' that are worth a try?

Originally Posted by IndianBoyz

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I bought a packet of sandalwood incense last week just for fun. Went home and lighted one in my bedroom. Hmm..this stuff is calming and the fragrance is nice and mild. Any other 'flavours' that are worth a try?
It's for live-in novice potheads and funeral homes.

Nag Champa is nice, though it can be a little strong.

Originally Posted by why

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It's for live-in novice potheads and funeral homes.


No I don't agree. The sticks have a nice fragrance and absolutely didn't smell cheap. It was an expensive packet aswell (5 euro's for 11 sticks) so I guess this was made of quality Mysore sandalwood. It's a nice home fragrance and actually seems to be a bit luxurious.

I love incense. It can certainly affect your mood.

Originally Posted by MrG

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Nag Champa is nice, though it can be a little strong.

I have heard alot about the Nag Champa. What does it smell like? For example I think I've smelled the rose which I didn't like and Nag Champa seems to be made of flowers aswell..

Originally Posted by texas_jack

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I love incense. It can certainly affect your mood.

Yes it does. The sandalwood really relaxes me and smells very subtile and mild.

Interesting article:


Indian incense can be divided into two categories: masala and charcoal. Masala incenses are made of dry ingredients, while charcoal incenses contain liquid scents. Masala incenses have several subgroups.

Masala
Masālā is a word in Hindi (and other Indian languages) meaning "spice mixture". It is commonly used when referring to curries or other food dishes. Masala incenses are made by blending several solid scented ingredients into a paste and then rolling that paste onto a bamboo core stick. These incenses usually contain little or no liquid scents (which can evaporate or diminish over time).



Durbars
Durbars are a sub-group of masala incense. They often contain ingredients entirely unfamiliar in the West and contain very complex scents. They are usually very slow-burning and are quite sweet and spicy in scent. They contain both solid and liquid perfumes in a binder which never quite dries out, making the incense sticks soft to the touch.



Champas
Champas are a sub-group of durbars. They contain a natural ingredient indigenous to India called "halmaddi". Halmaddi is a grey semi-liquid resin taken from the Ailanthus Malabarica tree. It smells like the flowers of the plumeria tree. Plumeria flowers are known as champa flowers in India, hence the name of the incense group. Halmaddi is hygroscopic which means it absorbs moisture from the air. This can cause champa incenses to have a wet feeling to them. Nag Champa is probably the most famous incense of the champa group.



Dhoops
Dhoops are another masala sub-group. They are an extruded incense, lacking a core bamboo stick. Many dhoops have very concentrated scents and put out a lot of smoke when burned. The most well-known dhoop is probably Chandan Dhoop. It contains a high percentage of Sandalwood.




Charcoal
Charcoal incenses are made by dipping an unscented "blank" (non-perfume stick) into a mixture of perfumes and/or essential oils. These blanks usually contain a binding resin (sometimes sandalwood) that holds the sticks' ingredients together.

Originally Posted by IndianBoyz

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Any other 'flavours' that are worth a try?

Frankincense and myrrh.

I like peppermint and meaningless nouns.

+1 for Nag Champa. To me it's the scent of refuge and calm, nothing else compares.

Indian incenses tend to be very sweet and thickly perfumed since they are typically soaked in perfumes and refined oils; Japanese sticks tend to be made from actual particles of resins and woods, and are generally more complex recipes. For a far more refined scent, try some classic Japanese incenses; and I don't mean the 'flavours' usually marketed in health food stores and bohemian boutiques, which are for the most part 'dumbed-down' for casual use (think a step up from Glade air freshener).

The more traditional Japanese incenses can be profound; and some are rightfully called masterpieces of fragrance. They are meant to be experienced attentively, like you would savour a great wine. Enmei and Seifu are great middle-to-high-end lines. An incredible, intense sandalwood-based incense is Mainichi Byakudankoh. You can burn it for just a minute and it will linger sweetly in the room. These, among other well-crafted scents, move me as much as any great art, and even more directly. The mood they evoke can be experienced viscerally, and their subtlety can leave you in awe.

For a more rugged spiciness, try Korean incense. And if you don't have luck finding any of the above, you can usually snag some Tibetan incense, which is woody, smokey, and herbal.

I'm a fan of sandalwood and cedar. I'm not a big fan of nag champa, but the girlfriend likes it.

When I think of nag champa I think of stinky dorm rooms.

I used to burn incense when I was a young stoner.