The Problem with Oud (Agarwood)

Agarwood should be defined by species along with its territory and not by its region alone.

Many customers may be cheated, or decieved by both learned and unlearned agarwood sellers.

Agarwood is an extremely complex tree which many scientists may mistakenly classify some of the current species out there for others such as: Aquilaria malaccensis and Aquilaria agallocha, but thanks to modern technology, scientists have been able to identify new species of agarwood.

By identifying new species of agarwood, we can get a bigger picture of the agarwood depeleting resources. It's no longer that we have (hypothetically) 100% agarwood species of malaccensis, but rather we have 24% malaccensis, 16% Aquilaria sinensis, 2% Aquilaria filaria, 8% Aquilaria hirta rdl, 22% Aquilaria microcarpa balil and 28% Aquilaria crassna etc etc. This has allowed us to see the greated extent of the threat by categorizing agarwood species which include, but not limited to the following of the Thymelaeceae family of agarwood trees:

• Aetoxolyn


• Aquilaria


• Gyrinops


• Wikstroemeia (resionous producing species believed to be extinct)

As we can see here, there are many agarwood producing species.

These trees adapt well to other climates, soils, heights etc. It is a good commercial and scientific research tree that is invasive and can be planted in many areas. You may find Aquilaria Malaccensis species growing in countries as far west into Indian territories and as far east into Papua New Guinea. Regional differences of the same species have little affect on the aroma characteristics, generally speaking. Only a well trained nose or oud expert could tell the difference if any.

The problem with oud (agarwood) comes in when sellers, both learned and unlearned, begin to classify each agarwood species by territory only. For example, someone might say something along the lines that some agarwood SPECIES cannot be classified, but it fits their classification of Kinam or a species or a sub-species of kinam or what not and that it has nothing in common with any other trees in Assam.

To me, that is one of the most ignorant statements I've ever read from anyone selling oud or talking about oud; and Since when did oud get classified by a NON-EXPERT in biological flora classification?

Its a shame consumers are being deceived by sellers who classify each oud by its region, or by way of their own classification that is completely outside the scientific realm. Agarwood needs to be classified by what species it is, its natural region, where it was grown and how it was grown.

For example, I can take a chinese agarwood; Aquilaria grandiflora or Aquilaria sinensis from various parts of china and grow them in India. Now, as a seller, I should state that my agarwood is endemic to china, but grown invasively in India on an organic farm or otherwise and that it is such and such species not found in India's natural flora or habitats.