🌳 Part 1: The Origins — How Oud Oil Extraction Begins
Oud oil, also known as agarwood oil or Dehn al Oud, is one of the rarest and most prized fragrance ingredients in the world. But before it becomes a luxurious perfume oil, it begins its journey deep within the forests of Southeast Asia — hidden in a tree most people overlook.
🪵 The Tree Behind the Treasure
Oud oil is extracted from the Aquilaria tree, a species found mainly in India, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and parts of Bangladesh and Indonesia. These trees on their own do not produce oud. What makes them valuable is an extraordinary natural phenomenon.
🦠 Infection: Nature’s Unexpected Gift
When an Aquilaria tree is wounded or infected by a specific type of mould (Phialophora parasitica), it responds by producing a dark, aromatic resin deep in its core as a defense mechanism.
This resin-soaked wood is known as agarwood — and it’s what oud oil is made from.
Not every tree gets infected, and even among those that do, only a small percentage produce enough resin to be harvested. That’s why oud is so rare, and so expensive.
⛏️ The Harvesting Process
Once the tree is identified as having developed resin, experienced harvesters extract only the infected core — leaving the healthy parts intact where possible.
This is a delicate process requiring expert judgment. If harvested too early, the wood may not contain enough resin. If left too long, the tree may rot or lose yield.
Harvested agarwood is sorted by grade — based on resin concentration, colour, aroma, and origin. Higher grades fetch significantly higher prices and are often used for oil distillation, while lower grades may be used for incense or carvings.
📍 Coming in Part 2:
The Distillation Process — How oud oil is extracted from agarwood using ancient and modern techniques, from water soaking to copper pots.