What Is Oud? — The Complete Introduction

Oud, also known as agarwood, aloeswood, or eaglewood, is one of the most precious natural materials in the world of fragrance. It is a dark, resinous heartwood that forms inside trees of the genus Aquilaria when they become infected with a specific type of mould (Phialophora parasitica). The tree produces this aromatic resin as a natural defence mechanism. Over years — sometimes decades — the resin saturates the heartwood, transforming it into what we know as oud. Only an estimated 2% of all Aquilaria trees in the wild develop this infection naturally, which is one of the reasons why genuine oud is so extraordinarily rare and valuable. Oud has been used for thousands of years across the Middle East, East Asia, and South Asia. In Arab culture, burning oud wood chips (bakhoor) is deeply embedded in hospitality, spirituality, and daily life. In Japan, the art of listening to incense (Koh-do) elevates agarwood appreciation to a meditative practice. In traditional Chinese medicine, agarwood has been used as a healing remedy for centuries. Today, oud is traded as raw wood chips, distilled into essential oils, and used as a base note in high-end perfumery. A single gram of high-quality wild oud oil can cost more than gold, making it one of the most expensive natural raw materials on earth. At OUDESSENCE, we believe that understanding oud begins with respecting its origins, its complexity, and the cultures that have treasured it for millennia. Discussion: 💬 When was your first encounter with oud? What drew you in?