Bakhoor
Bakhoor is agarwood — usually chips or sawdust — that has been infused with oil so that it carries scent without being distilled. Its quality depends on both the wood and the oil used, and because the infusion ratio is not standardised, two products described the same way can differ enormously in both scent and burn.
The direct answer
Bakhoor is agarwood — usually chips or sawdust — that has been infused with oil so that it carries scent without being distilled. Its quality depends on both the wood and the oil used, and because the infusion ratio is not standardised, two products described the same way can differ enormously in both scent and burn.
What it refers to
The practice is old and widespread across the Gulf and South Asia, and the word covers both the finished material and the act of making it. Because the oil used may itself be a blend, an accord or a genuine distillation, a bakhoor product can vary far more than its name suggests.
The precise attribution of this term varies between markets, suppliers and periods, and a seller may use it more loosely than the strict usage. Where the distinction matters to a purchase, confirm the meaning with the counterparty rather than relying on the label.
What it does not prove
The word does not establish that the wood is agarwood, that the oil is a true distillation, or the ratio of oil to wood. It is also used for products made from other woods and for entirely synthetic fragrance materials.
This entry gives the general trade referent of the term. It does not establish the specific grading, composition or origin of any material described with it, and it is not a standard.
- Biodiversity and application prospects of fungal endophytes in the agarwood-producing genera Aquilaria and Gyrinops (Thymelaeaceae): a reviewStates that all members of the agarwood-producing genera Aquilaria and Gyrinops are placed in CITES Appendix II. Records 92 compounds identified in agarwood, of which terpenoids are 40.22%, and names eighteen fungal genera reported to promote agarwood formation. It does not establish the quality, yield or age of any material, and it is a review rather than a regulatory instrument.
OudGuide editorial review · 2026-10-20
Reviewed against the cited sources and checked for a question-specific answer. Trade attributions were checked against the general trade usage rather than against a single market, and each entry states which parts are local rather than general.
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