Mention incense, and it's hard not to immediately think of it Christmas.
It is mentioned in the story of the birth of Christ in the Bible's book of Matthew and was one of the precious gifts (alongside gold and myrrh) given to the baby Jesus by the three wise men.
But there is more to this age-old, aromatic scent tree resin than its Biblical association. This becomes immediately clear during my first trip to the Sultanate of Oman, the epicenter of incense.
Exploring Salalah: the land of incense
The mystical, rich scent of incense (locally known as luban) is unavoidable Oman. This is especially true in the city of Salalah in the southernmost governorate of Dhofar, where frankincense trees grow wild.
Before I even arrive in the sun-drenched seaside city, I smell my first scent. An undertone of incense can be detected in the hand lotion on Oman Air, where provision The kits come from Oman's most famous perfumery, high-end Omani heritage brand Amouage, which uses frankincense in around 60 percent of its products. From that moment on, the smell of incense is never far from me.
As I float through the ultra-modern, sleek Salalah Airport, frankincense hydrosol floats from industrial diffusers to perfume and cleanse the air.
When my taxi stops under the elegant one Arabic above the arches of my hotel, Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara, I see three decorative frankincense trees in shiny gold pots. The property is located by the sea, within viewing distance of the Museum of the Frankincense Land.
My room is like a magical setting from a Scheherazade story with frangipani trees, bronze lanterns and traditional majlis seats. The sky is fragrant with the faint, slightly sweet traces of incense smoke from recently burned resin.
And when it glitters spa with its opulent marble hammam, frankincense essential oil is worked into sore muscles, and frankincense-infused elixirs are offered in place of herbal teas.
The story continues
Even after just a few hours in Salalah it becomes immediately clear why this is known as the land of frankincense.
Khor Rori and Wadi Dawkah: UNESCO World Heritage Sites in need of protection
Sometimes called the perfume capital of Arabia, Salalah is home to the world's most prized species of frankincense trees, Boswellia sacra, whose sap is extracted and dried to become tiny crystals of frankincense resin - once worth more than gold. The resin is burned as incense or distilled into it oil for different applications. Although this top species is also native to Yemen and Somalia, it is most commonly found in Oman and was instrumental in establishing the region as a prosperous trading hub in the region. old world.
Hussain Balhaf, Al Baleed Resort's in-house guide, takes me to the UNESCO heritage site of Khor Rori (Sumhuram), a fortified port city once used for the frankincense trade and dating back to the 3rd century BC.
"During the day excavation Incense burners were found with incense still on them," says Hussain as we walk quickly through the crumbling, cookie-colored ruins to avoid the heat.
When we later visit the Frankincense Museum, Hussain points out several of these burners, which have been excavated from houses in Sumhuram, as well as in religious areas - something that still occurs today. Incense is still burned mosques churches and temples all over the world, whose smoke symbolizes sanctification and purification.
Then Hussain takes me to Wadi Dawkah, another UNESCO-approved site with stony, semi- desert a natural habitat for frankincense trees.
'Seventy years ago, this wadi [valley] would have been filled with frankincense trees," Hussain says, quoting climate change and overfishing as causes of the decline. He shows me how the bark is scored during the harvest months to produce juice. This sap is then scraped away, creating a second sap, which later dries and crystallizes.
At previous counts, there were only 1,200 old perennial trees in Wadi Dawkah. To increase and protect numbers Oman's heritage, the government has planted an incense farm and developed a visitor center on the site, which is managed in collaboration with Amouage. As manager of the trees, the brand ensures that the harvest takes place durable and regulated.
Learn about frankincense harvesting with a local guide
Harvesting frankincense is a time-consuming process that is done by hand and cannot be rushed. Even after the harvest, the work is still not done. To learn more about how frankincense is processed and sold, I enlist the help of Adnan Safrar, an expert local guide from ToursByLocals, to take me to a workshop.
"We're lucky to be visiting," says Adnan, as we walk down a quiet street in Salalah's industrial area. "Most workshops are very protective of the process."
Despite this warning, Amer Mohammed Alameri, general manager of Luban Dhofar, an incense distillation company based in Salalah, could not have been more hospitable. He leads me into his workshop and points to the stainless steel tanks, barrels of ice-cold purified water and finished products - soap, powder, hydrosol and essential oil for cosmetics fragrances and natural remedies.
Amer's family has worked with incense for generations, and he is generous with his time and treasure.
"Our policy is to make all the benefits of frankincense known to the world. We have known this for thousands of years. Now research is being done to prove this," says Amer, showing me studies done by Omani universities on the promising effects of frankincense on infections and diseases. diseases.
What is frankincense used for in Oman?
While the medical While the benefits of frankincense continue to be studied and shared around the world, the product remains a cherished resource in Omani society - used to purify, smell and flavor.
Back in the relaxing, expansive grounds of the Al Baleed Resort, I sit under palm tree umbrellas with Dina Macki, an Omani chief born and raised in Great Britain.
"We have always said that frankincense is an elixir of life," she says. "It's actually just a really good thing to have for medicinal purposes. We put the edible resin in water, and when I first started drinking it, I noticed that my digestion was better, and my skin Good riddance... It is also very common to burn incense and stand [the smoke] in dresses to allow the incense to pass through us for purifying purposes and for the scent," Dina continues.
Of the four varieties, top quality hojari incense is used to cook. Dina is in Salalah to cook at the Al Baleed Resort Food Festival, a week-long culinary extravaganza in its second year. Every evening a new chef from a different country treats guests to dishes that reflect the restaurants in their own city (most of which are). Michelin-with star).
For her evening, Dina serves Omani specialties at the hotel's poolside Sakalan restaurant, including a... dessert garnished with edible incense beads. "I personally love [the taste of] incense; it works very well with sweet things, such as when you use it in crème brûlée and panna cotta," says Dina.
The smoke can also be used to season meat and fish milk flavored with frankincense can be found in Oman's supermarkets. For a newer twist on the age-old product, you can even find frankincense ice cream. I recommend enjoying the icy treat at one of Oman's countless postcard-perfect spots beaches - because frankincense is not the only spectacular natural wonder in this part of the world.
Nicole Trilivas was a guest at Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara and Experience Oman with support from Oman Air and ToursByLocals.