Oud Origin?

One thing I’d like to bring to everybody’s attention is the importance of the origin of the oud oil you are buying.  Every time you decide to buy an oud, you should ask yourself the following question: “Where – exactly – did the agarwood that was used to make this oil originate?”  And if you can’t answer that question, be very careful about purchasing from the vendor.

Sure, most folks will attach some kind of country name to an oil; some will say “Cambodi Ateeq” or “Hindi Moattaq” for example.  You would be astonished if you knew exactly what is in the bottle that is being offered to you as ‘Cambodi’ or ‘Hindi’…

I have seen oils in the UAE that were advertised as Cambodi, and when I pointed out a West Irian Jaya note in the mix, the merchant smiled: “There is some Indonesian in there, yes…”  I was scared to ask what else was in there!  But to be sure, the oil was far from a “Cambodi”.

Matter of fact, it was far from an oud oil – let alone a single origin Oud.