Tuesday 23 / April / 2024
The whiff of pleasant smoke that envelopes you in different places and on different occasions is the fragrance I’ve always associated Oman with, and the source of that scent is the traditionally made incense, locally known to all as bakhoor.
Bakhoor literally translates to vapour, but in Oman and other Arab countries, this is a name given to a traditional appliance that holds scented bricks/chips or incense and is burned in charcoal to produce the smoke that is then used amply. It is an inevitable part of any Omani household, souq or important occasion and can be used to perfume clothes and homes. Bakhoor was initially used in the kitchen to get rid of cooking aromas.
Many even believe that the sacred fumes help keep bad luck and evil away and invite angels and positive energy. Bakhoor is made by blending various ingredients — many common, many secret — to producing different fragrances that suit different occasions. Some of the common ingredients used include rose, sandalwood, frankincense, oats, resins, powdered flowers, perfumed oils, and ground seashells.
There are different ways of preparing bakhoor, but traditionally it is done by cooking the ingredients in an earthen pot mixed with essential oils (one oil at a time) and stirring it continuously until it forms a paste and thickens.
The pot needs to be then left to cool and the hardened mixtures is finely crumbled to a powder form. In order to use bakhoor, one needs coal tablets, a coal pan or a torch, an incense burner known as mabkhara that holds the coal and of course, bakhoor.
Bakhoor has been an integral part of Oman’s culture, which we all have taken pride in, for many decades. It is something you will see in homes, for special occasions, such as weddings, festivals and other ceremonies, commercial shops, and possibly everywhere as a representative of the Sultanate’s vivid fragrance. [email protected]
