Where does the Best Oud Come From?
The most preferred and premium oud quality comes from India. It is colloquially known as Oud Hindi and this quality is followed closely by Oud from Cambodia and Vietnam.
The recent surge in consumption of Oud, not just amongst Arabs worldwide but other nationalities has created some disarray. The availability of Agarwood (Oud) in South Asian nations has decreased because of deforestation and over-exploitation. Vietnam, with a large quantity of Aquilaria trees (which when infected becomes Oud), is recognized as one of the main suppliers of Oud today.
Cultivated Agarwood (Oud) is also becoming increasingly available. It is collected after 2-3 years, while natural Agarwood (Oud) remains in the aquilaria trees for upto 10 years. Thus, the oil quality in natural Agarwood (Oud) is always better than cultivated agarwood irrespective of which region the tree comes from. This also make natural agarwood 3 or 4 times more expensive than the cultivated variety.
Its good to be aware of the quality of Oud going into your bakhoor, attar oil or perfume. The quality of Oud and other ingredients definitely has an impact on the quality and lasting of the fragrance product that you use.
If you would like to explore oud for yourself, you may find the collection here:
Maamoul Bakhoor معمول عود بخور
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