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Created from the bark of the Cinnamomum tree, there are two types of cinnamon in use today. Ceylon cinnamon, often called "true cinnamon" is native to Sri Lanka and comes from the Cinnamomum verum tree. Cassia cinnamon, sometimes called "Chinese cinnamon," comes from the bark of the Cinnamomum aromaticum tree native to Southern China. An evergreen tree that can achieve mature heights of 50-70 feet, Cinnamomum aromaticum is widely cultivated for its bark throughout Southeast Asia, and is the most common form of "cinnamon" in use today.
Cloves are the aromatic flower buds of Syzygium aromaticum, a small evergreen tree native to the Molucca Islands of Indonesia, referred to in colonial times as the "spice islands." Widely cultivated today, the majority of the world's cloves are produced in the country of Tanzania on Africa's east coast. Harvested while unopened, the flower buds are collected and dried, where they turn from pink to the familiar deep earthy brown color. The name "clove" comes from the French word "clou" which means "nail," as the shape of the dried bud resembles cut iron nails.
Borneol camphor is an aromatic crystalline resin that accumulates in clefts in the trunk of Dryobalanops aromatica,commonly known as the Camphor tree. Native to Borneo, Sumatra and Malaysia, Dryobalanops aromatica is a giant tropical evergreen that reaches mature heights of over 130 feet, preferring hillsides in primarily coastal lowlands. Prized for its production of Borneol resin, the Camphor tree is also sought after for its hardwood, known as Kapur, regarded on par with Teak. Records of trade in Camphor trees exist for more than a thousand years. Marco Polo wrote of the export of Camphor trees from Indonesia to the Middle East in the sixth-century. For at least the last 1,000 years, Borneol has been sustainably cultivated for its auspicious fragrance.
Native to the tropical island of Sumatra, Indonesia, and Malasia, Benzoin is a balsamic resin produced by several trees of the Styrax genus in the Styracaceae family. To harvest the resin, the trunk is cut and the white sap that flows from the wound is left to harden for a period of up to six months. It is then harvested and further dried and cleaned to remove impurities prior to export.
Known originally as "Gum Benjamin" and now commonly as "Benzoin," the resin today has two primary source species: Styrax benzoin and Styrax tonkinensis. S. Benzoin, often referred to as Sumatra Benzoin, is similar to a rubber tree, and at maturity can reach heights of up to ninety-feet. S. Tonkinensis , also called Siam Benzoin, is a semi-deciduous tree that at maturity also reaches heights of up to ninety-feet, and is cultivated extensively for both its aromatic resin and for its pulp wood.
Called by many names including nard, nardin, and muskroot, Spikenard comes from the rhizomes of only one species - Nardostachys jatamansi of the Valerian family. Native to the Himalayan regions of Nepal, China, and India, Nardostachys jatamansi is a small flowering plant that grows at high altitudes of at least 9,800 feet, reaching a height of up to three feet and producing pink bell-shaped flowers. Cultivated for the fragrant amber-colored oil derived from it's rhizomes, it's botanical name, jatamansi, translates from the Hindi language as "lock of hair" - due to the resemblance of which to the harvested rhizomes.
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Learn more with the book: The Fragrant Path: A Guide to the Japanese Art of Incense. Filled with practical suggestions, useful tips, and an exploration of the history, selection, use, and appreciation of this uniquely Japanese art form, The Fragrant Path offers a rare, comprehensive look into the Japanese art of incense in the first in-depth English-language book on the subject in nearly three decades.
