The Odorare Circle

Oud and saffron: an accord born between the Gulf and Asia

Oud and saffron meet on an ancient trade route, between South Asia, where *Aquilaria* grows, and the Gulf, where saffron arrives through trade from Persia and Kashmir. This article explains why the...

Bakhoor: How to Burn It at Home

Bakhoor is agarwood infused with essences, which is burned to scent a room. There are two methods: charcoal, which is traditional and produces more smoke, and the electric burner, which is easier t...

Oud and rose: why this pairing has stood the test of time

The oud and rose accord is not a recent trend: it dates back to the trade routes connecting the Middle East to Southeast Asia, and to documented uses from the Ottoman court to contemporary Arabian ...

Which oud fragrance should you choose when you're just starting out?

Oud has a reputation for a powerful, challenging scent that puts off many beginners. Yet, certain compositions make it perfectly approachable, provided you know how to interpret three factors: the ...

Cambodian, Indian, Laotian oud: identifying their origins

The word "oud" encompasses agarwood harvested in very different countries, from Cambodia to India, via Laos and Thailand. Each origin produces a distinct olfactory profile, linked to the climate, t...

How is oud extracted? From tree to bottle

Oud is not harvested like a resin: it is an infected wood that must first be identified, then cut, reduced to chips, and distilled with water for several days. This article details the actual steps...

Natural or synthetic oud: what sets them apart

Natural oud comes from the resin of an infected wood, harvested in Southeast Asia and distilled in very small quantities. Synthetic oud, on the other hand, recreates this scent using stable aromati...

The finest oud fragrances in our catalog

There is no single "best oud fragrance": there is an oud that suits what you are looking for. We have selected eight compositions from our catalog that showcase the full range, from the rawest smok...

What is oud? The most expensive wood in perfumery

Oud is not a wood: it is a resin that certain trees produce to protect themselves from an infected wound. Fewer than one in ten wild trees contain it. What you need to know before buying your first...

Why is oud so expensive?

The price of oud is driven by three measurable factors: only a minority of trees become naturally infected and produce resin, distillation requires dozens of kilos of wood for just a few milliliter...