Agarwood

Agarwood
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Chopped agarwood

Agarwood(or just Agar) is the resinous heartwood from Aquilaria trees, large evergreens native to southeast Asia. The trees occasionally become infected with mold and begin to produce an aromatic resin in response to this attack. As the infection grows, it results in a very rich, dark resin within the heartwood.

The resin is commonly called gaharu, jinko, aloeswood, agarwood, or oud, and is valued in many cultures for its distinctive fragrance, and thus is used for incense and perfumes.

One of the reasons for the relative rarity and high cost of agarwood is the depletion of the wild resource.^[1] Since 1995 Aquilaria malaccensis, the primary source, has been listed in Appendix II by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.^[2] In 2004 all Aquilaria species were listed in Appendix II; however, a number of countries have outstanding reservations regarding that listing.^[2]

1 History
2 Etymology
3 Formation
4 Odor profile
5 Trade and use
6 Characteristics of Agarwood
7 Aquilaria species that produce agarwood
8 References
9 External links

History

The odour of agarwood is complex and pleasing, with few or no similar natural analogues. As a result, agarwood and its essential oil gained great cultural and religious significance in ancient civilizations around the world. In as early as the 3rd century, the chronicle Nan zhou yi wu zhi (Strange things from the South) written by Wa Zhen of the Eastern Wu Dynasty mentioned agarwood produced in the Rinan commandery, now Central Vietnam, and how people collected it in the mountains.

Starting in 1580 after Nguyen Hoang took control over the central provinces of modern Vietnam, he encouraged trade with other countries, specifically China and Japan. Agarwood was exported in three varieties: Calambac (Khi Nam in Vietnamese), Tram Huong (very similar but slightly harder and slightly less rare), and agarwood proper. A pound of Calambac bought in Hoi An for 15 taels could be sold in Nagasaki for 600 taels. The Nguyen Lords soon established a Royal Monopoly over the sale of Calambac. This monopoly helped fund the Nguyen state finances during the early years of the Nguyen rule.^[3]

Xuanzang's travelouges and the Harshacharita, written in 7th century A.D. in Northern India mentions use of Agarwood products such as 'Xasipat' (writing-material) and 'aloe-oil' in ancient Assam (Kamarupa). The tradition of making writing-materials from its bark still exist in Assam.

Etymology

Agarwood is known under many names in different cultures:

It is known as Chén-xīang (沉香) in Chinese and Jin-koh (沈香) in Japanese, both meaning "sinking incense" and alluding to its high density.
Both agarwood and its resin distillate/extracts are known as Oud in Arabic (literally wood) and used to describe agarwood in nations and areas of Islamic faith. Western perfumers may also use agarwood essential oil under the name "oud" or "oude".
In Europe it was referred to as Lignum aquila (eagle-wood) or Agilawood, because of the similarity in sound of agila to gaharu
Another name is Lignum aloes or Aloeswood. This is potentially confusing, since a genus Aloe exists (unrelated), which has medicinal uses, . However, the Aloes of the Old Testament (Num. 24:6; Ps. 45:8; Prov. 7:17; and Cant. 4:14) and of the Hebrew Bible (ahalim in Hebrew) are believed to be agarwood from Aquilaria malaccensis.
In Assamese it is called as "ogoru".
The Indonesian and Malay name is "gaharu".
In New Guinea it is called "ghara".
In Vietnamese, it is known as trầm hương.^[4]
In Hindi (India), it is known as "agar", which is originally Sanskrit based.
In Laos it is known as "Mai Ketsana".

Formation

There are fifteen species in of the Aquilaria genus and eight are known to produce agarwood.^[5] In theory agarwood can be produced from all members; however, until recently it was primarily produced from A. malaccensis. A. agallocha and A. secundaria are synonyms for A. malaccensis.^[1] A. crassna and A. sinensis are the other two members of the genus that are usually harvested.

Formation of agarwood occurs in the trunk and roots of trees that have been infected by a parasitc ascomycetous mold, Phaeoacremonium parasitica^[6], a dematiaceous (dark-walled) fungus. As a response, the tree produces a resin high in volatile organic compounds that aids in suppressing or retarding the fungal growth. While the unaffected wood of the tree is relatively light in colour, the resin dramatically increases the mass and density of the affected wood, changing its colour from a pale beige to dark brown or black. In natural forest only about 7% of the trees are infected by the fungus. A common method in artificial forestry is to inoculate all the trees with the fungus.

High quality resin comes from a tree's natural immune response to a fungal attack. It is commonly known as agarwood #1 (first quality). An inferior resin is created using forced methods where aquilaria trees are deliberately wounded, leaving them more susceptible to a fungal attack. This is commonly called agarwood #2. The grades are Super King, 4 Super, 3 Super, 2 Super, Super and A^clarify.

Odor profile

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A natural perfume oil obtained by CO₂ extraction from agarwood retains the odor of "true" agarwood: a cepes (mushroom) and carrot seed accord, which can be roughly approximated by combining ambergris, jasmine, earth and wood notes. Lightly infected wood, sometimes cultivated, produces an (allegedly) inferior oil with a vetiver, sandalwood, and patchouli character.

Trade and use

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Hydro-Distillation process used to extract agarwood essential oils.

Also known as aloeswood, eaglewood and gaharu, agarwood is a highly prized wood and is used primarily for medicine, perfume and incense. Agarwood has been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years in traditional East Asian medicine. Agarwood perfumes comprise agarwood oil mixed with a carrier such as sandalwood oil. 'Attar oil,' for example, is a water-based perfume containing agarwood oil that is normally used by Muslims to lace prayer clothes. Agarwood essences have also recently been used to fragrance soaps and shampoos. Agarwood is used in Arab countries (especially in the Persian Gulf) as incense. In Japan, it is used in Kōdō or "incense ceremony" along with Sandalwood. Agarwood (Aloeswood) was used by the Ancient Egyptians for embalming dead bodies. Agarwood extract is rarely used in western perfumery due to its prohibitive price but it can still be found in niche fragrances such as Montale's oud collection.

The TRAFFIC report Heart of the Matter revealed that over 700 tons of agarwood from one species alone, Aquilaria malaccensis, was reported in international trade in 1997, with Indonesia and Malaysia being the main exporters. From 1995 to 1997, Indonesia reported exporting 920 tons. Peninsular Malaysia recorded over 340 tons exported during the same period. This does not include export figures for Sarawak, which reached nearly 530 tons in 1998 alone. Due to its rarity and the high demand for it, agarwood and agarwood extracts bring high prices. Indiscriminate cutting of trees of the relevant species in the hope of finding agarwood has resulted in depletion of wild trees. One species has been CITES-listed. Projects are currently underway in some countries in southeast Asia to infect cultivated Aquilaria trees artificially to produce agarwood in a sustainable manner.

In the past, Malaysia was a popular spot for traders to seek perfumes. The native perfumes produced from real woods and petals from Malaya successfully attracted traders from all over the world, especially from Portugal and Britain. However, the popularity of agarwood in Malaysia faded after the colonization of Malacca.

Populations of eight species of Aquilaria have already declined to the point where they are considered threatened according to the IUCN Red List Categories. Of these, A. malaccensis is the only species protected from international trade under CITES, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. The species was listed in Appendix II of CITES in 1995. However, even this level of protection is facing difficulties.

Under CITES, exports of the species must meet certain and specific biological and legal requirements. In many cases, the information needed to determine whether these criteria can be met is woefully inadequate or altogether absent. In many cases, exports are approved with very little information on the status of the species and knowing whether exploitation is within sustainable levels.

Characteristics of Agarwood

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The cheapest Oud oil distilled from agarwood can cost as little as $20 per kilogram, while the finest Oud oils distilled from agarwood can cost as much as $7,000 per kilogram. Yves Saint Laurent uses Agarwood in perfume products, though Aloeswood/Oud oil is not commonly known in the Western world.

Aquilaria species that produce agarwood