What is Oud?

Nuhr Home is a leading Oud Scent brand that is recognised worldwide for our luxurious and high quality Oud infused products, but what exactly is Oud?

What is Oud Perfume? 

Also known as agarwood, Oud essential oil is extracted from the agar tree. Known as the “five thousand dollar per pound scent,” Oud is by far one of the most expensive raw fragrance ingredients in the world.

Oud Resin image via Ensar Oud

Why is Oud so expensive?

Oud or Oudh is one of the most expensive raw fragrance ingredients in the world. 

Also known as agarwood, this oil is extracted from the fungus-infected resinous heartwood of the agar tree, which is primarily found in the dense forests of Southeast Asia, India and Bangladesh.

The highest quality Agarwood trees can be found in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Also found in Assam a province in India, where the best distillers in the world can be found.

Agarwood/Oud oil are products of infected species of trees, commonly being sought from Aquilaria and Gyrinops trees.

It is either extracted by distillation from the wood or by melting the resin.

It is believed that for every ten trees in the wild, only one will have an infected heartwood. Expert perfumers seek out these older trees because of the superior richness of the resin’s aroma. 

Due to the fact that the resin is only triggered by the formation of the mould, it’s estimated that a total of 2 percent of these trees produce it. This contributes to its status as the most expensive commodity on the essential oil market.

Partly the reason of such high cost is that the agar tree is now registered by CITES as a potentially threatened species. 

The global Oud / Agarwood market is thought to be worth over £5 billion annually.

The cost comes from the extravagant woods used to produce the oils in the first place. These woods can cost as high as one thousand dollars or more per kilogram. This is before distilling costs.

From five kilograms of  Agarwood, in which a master might have spent five thousand dollars to obtain, they might only be able to produce a tiny amount of oil.  

 

Where does Oud come from?

In the Middle East Oud is widely recognised yet has only been brought to the UK market recently. Oud is derived from the tropical agar tree, which is thought to originate in Assam in India. The tree produces what is known as Phialophora parasitica, this reacts by producing a dense, dark and fragrant resin to protect itself. It is the resin-embedded heartwood of the tree that is the source of oud.

These trees are grown throughout south-east Asia, India and Bangladesh. Agarwood is widely recognised to be the most expensive timber in the world.  In fact, it is said to be one of the most expensive of all natural raw ingredients.

 

Image via Oud-selection.com

The scent itself varies considerably depending on the wood that is used, where the tree was grown and whether the tree itself was cultivated or naturally infected.

The fragrance is complex, diverse and exquisite. It invokes a warmth and has lovely smoky notes with tinges of dampened wood.

Oud has the ability to permeate any interior environment with a sense of opulence and luxury.

Oud Candles and more

We at NUHR HOME are delighted to bring to the market Oud note based products such as our ever popular Rose and Oud candles as well as Oud Woods, Oud & Bergamot candles and many more. All of which will leave your home filled with a truly rich yet relaxing luxurious Oud scent.

Check out our full range of Oud Products here.