by Mention frankincense, and it’s hard not to think instantly Christmas.
Mentioned in the story of the birth of Christ in the Book of Matthew in the Bible, it was one of the precious gifts (along with gold and myth) that the three wise men gave to the baby Jesus.
But there is more to the ancient, aromatic a tree resin is its biblical association. This becomes immediately clear on my first trip to the Sultanate of Oman, the heartland of frankincense.
Exploring Salalah: The land of rats
The mystical, rich scent of frankincense (known locally as luban) is inescapable in Oman. This is especially true in the city of Salalah in the southernmost governorate of Dhofar, where wild sandalwood trees grow.
Before I even land in the sun-blasted seaside city, I get my first whiff. A frankincense footnote can be detected in the hand lotion on Oman Air, where amenity Kits care for Oman’s most famous perfumery, the high-end Omani heritage brand Amouage, which uses frankincense in about 60 percent of its products. From that moment on, the smell of frankincense is never far from me.
As I swan through the ultra-modern, sleek Salalah Airport, frankincense hydrolight from industrial-grade diffusers sets out to scent and purify the air.
When my taxi pulls up under the elegant Arab the arches of my hotel, Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara, I spice up a trio of ornamental thickets in gleaming pots of gold. The property lounges by the sea, within viewing distance of The Museum of the Frankincense Land.
My room is like a magical setting from the story of Scheherazade with frangipani trees, bronze and traditional lanterns majlis seats. There is the air fragrance with the faint, slightly sweet traces of smoky smoke from recently burned resin.
And at the gleaming spawith its lavish marble hammam, frankincense essential oil is worked into sore muscles, and frankincense-infused elixirs are offered instead of herbal tea.
Even after a few hours in Salalah, it is immediately clear why this is called the land of frankincense.
Khor Rori and Wadi Dawkah: UNESCO World Heritage Sites in need of protection
Also known as the perfume capital of Arabia, Salalah is home to the world’s most valuable species of frankincense tree, Boswellia sacra, from which juice is obtained and dried to become small crystals of frankincense resin – sometimes worth more than gold . The resin is burned as incense or distilled oil for different uses. Although originally native to Yemen and Somalia, this top species is most commonly found in Oman and played a major role in establishing the region as a successful trading hub in the country. ancient world.
Hussain Balhaf, the in-house tour guide at Al Baleed Resort, takes me to the UNESCO the heritage site of Khor Rori (Sumhuram), a fortified port city once used for the frankincense trade, dating back to the 3rd century BCE.
“During excavatedincense burners were still found,” says Hussain as we walk briskly through the crumbling ruins, squinting to avoid the heat.
Later, when we visit the Frankincense Museum, Hussain points out some of these burners, which were excavated from houses in Sumhuram, and in religious areas – something that still happens today. Frankincense is still burned in mosqueschurches, and temples around the world, their symbolic smoke of sanctification and purification.
Next, Hussain takes me to Wadi Dawkah, another UNESCO-approved site of seminal stones.desertwhich is a natural habitat for frankincense trees.
“Seventy years ago, this wadi [valley] it would be filled with tired trees,” says Hussain, citing climate change and too permanent as reasons for the decline. He shows me how the bark is scored in the autumn months so that juice emerges. This sap is then scraped off and a second sap forms, which later dries and crystallizes.
In a previous count, there were only 1,200 ancient perennial trees in Wadi Dawkah. To increase and protect a number OmanFrom a heritage perspective, the government has planted a frankincense farm and developed a visitor center on the site, run in partnership with Amouage. As the guardian of trees, the brand ensures that there is a harvest sustainable and controlled.
Learning about frankincense cultivation with a local guide
Harvesting frankincense is a time-consuming process that is done by hand and cannot be rushed. Even after the harvest, the work is not done yet. To learn more about how frankincense is processed and sold, I enlist the help of Adnan Safrar, an expert local guide from ToursByLocals, to take me to a workshop.
“We are lucky to be visited,” says Adnan, as we head down a quiet street in the industrial district of Salalah. “Most workshops protect the process.”
Despite this warning, Amer Mohammed Alameri, general director of Luban Dhofar, a frankincense distilling company based in Salalah, was less welcoming. He takes me into his workshop, pointing out the stainless steel tanks, the vats of ice-cold purified water, and finished products – soap, powder, hydrosol, and essential oil for cosmeticsperfumes and natural remedies.
Amer’s family has been working with frankincense for generations, and he is generous with his time and treasures.
“Our policy is to communicate all the advantages of the French language to the world. For thousands of years, we have known this. Now, research is being done to prove it,” says Amer, showing me studies carried out by Omani universities on the effects of the French promise on infections and illness.
What is the use of frankincense in Oman?
Although the medical the benefits of frankincense are still being studied and shared around the world, in Omani society the product is still a dietary resource – it is used to purify, smell and taste.
Back in the peaceful grounds of the sprawling Al Baleed Resort, I sit under the umbrellas of palm trees with Dina Macki, Omani. cook born and raised in the UK.
“We’ve always said that frankincense is the elixir of life,” she says. “It’s actually a really good thing to have for medicinal purposes. We put the edible resin in water, and when I first started drinking, I noticed that my digestion was better, and my skin cleaning up…It is also very common to burn frankincense and stand over it [the smoke] in dresses to let the fatigue come up through me for cleaning purposes and to smell,” says Dina.
Of the four types, the highest grade hojari frankincense is used cooking. Dina is in Salalah to cook at the Al Baleed Resort Food Festival, a week-long culinary extravaganza in its second year. Each night, a new chef from a different country delights guests with dishes that reflect their hometown restaurants (most of which Michelin-star).
Throughout the night, Dina dishes Omani specialties at the hotel’s poolside Sakalan restaurant, including dessert topped with edible frankincense pearls. “I personally love it [the taste of] frankincense; it works really well with sweet things, for example when you add it to crème brûlée and panna cotta,” says Dina.
The smoke can also be used to flavor meat and fish, and milk Frankincense flavoring can be found in Oman grocery stores. For a newer twist on the ancient product, you can even get frankincense ice cream. I suggest you enjoy the icy treat on one of Oman’s countless postcard-perfect beaches – because frankincense is not the only amazing natural wonder in this part of the world.
Nicole Trilivas was a guest at Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara and Experience Oman supported by Oman Air and ToursByLocals.
