What is bakhoor? Incense chips, scent culture and the perfume that borrows from it

You may have met the word in a product name before you met the practice. Here is the short version of what it is, where it fits in scent culture, and what it has to do with a bottle you wear.

Bakhoor in plain words

Bakhoor means incense in Arabic, and it names a way of scenting the home as much as a material. It is common across the Arabian Peninsula and widely used elsewhere in the region. The pieces are not just wood. They are chips of fragrant wood such as agarwood, often mixed with resins, sugar or flowers and soaked in fragrance oils, then dried.

It is a hospitality custom as much as a perfume. Guests may be offered the smoke at the door, and clothes may be held over it, so the scent lasts into the evening.

How it is burned

A small piece of bakhoor sits on a hot charcoal disc inside a burner called a mabkhara. The charcoal warms the chip, and a thin, sweet smoke rises. It takes a few minutes, and the scent fills the room, then settles into fabric.

Safety matters. Charcoal is hot, so use a heat-proof burner on a stable surface, keep it away from children and pets, ventilate the room and do not leave it burning when you go out. If you have asthma or sensitive lungs, take care with smoke.

Notes that read as bakhoor in perfume

Perfumers do not burn anything. They use notes that suggest the smell. The usual ones are:

• Frankincense and incense: dry, lemony, smoky.
• Oud: dark, woody, a little leathery.
• Amber, labdanum and benzoin: sweet, warm resins.
• Sandalwood: creamy, soft wood.
• Saffron: warm, spicy, a bit metallic.
• Rose: the classic partner of oud and incense.

Our guide to frankincense in perfume goes further into the most obvious one.

Qasida Bakhour as a case study

FAAN Qasida Bakhour is an Eau de Parfum of the Qasida line. Its pyramid has saffron, clove and blackcurrant on top, rose, violet, incense and tonka in the heart, and sandalwood, cistus, leather and vanilla in the base. The accords are spicy, amber, leather and woody, and the tagline is smoke, saffron and leather.

You can see the bakhoor idea in the spice, the incense and the sweet resin of cistus. You will not smell burning, because there is none. What you get is a warm, soft haze of smoke, with projection 4 out of 5 and longevity 4 out of 5. The full scent walk is in the Qasida Bakhour review.

Difference between burning and wearing

Burning scents the air and the cloth. Wearing scents the skin, and it moves with you. Bakhoor smoke is heavier, drier and louder, and it fades from a room in hours. A perfume that borrows from it is gentler, adjusts to your skin and lasts longer on the person.

They are not rivals. In many homes people use both: smoke for the house, perfume for the body. If you want a taste of the idea without the burner, a bakhoor-style perfume is the way in. Browse all FAAN perfumes, or read the Qasida collection guide.

FAQ

Is bakhoor just incense sticks?

Not quite. Incense sticks are a stick you light. Bakhoor is chips or pieces you heat on charcoal, and the smell is usually sweeter and woodier.

Can I burn Qasida Bakhour?

No. It is a perfume with alcohol, made to be sprayed on skin and clothes. Never put it on a flame or charcoal.

What if the bottle is sold out?

Ask to be notified on the product page. Delivery takes 3 to 6 working days in the Netherlands and 5 to 8 working days in the rest of the EU.

Related reading

• Frankincense in perfume: what it smells like and which FAAN bottles use it
• FAAN Qasida perfumes: all nine bottles explained
• FAAN Qasida Bakhour review: notes, strength and when to wear it