A Precious Fragment Of Oudh

Mark Frauenfelder at 10:33 am Wed, Jun 5, 2013 In my most recent mailing (MLF03), I sent my subscribers a fungal infection. From my letter: Before you call a hazardous waste team to dispose of it, though, read what what Chandler Burr, author of the fascinating book, The Emperor of Scent , has to say about the odor of oudh : It’s a drop-dead smell, very complex, honey, fresh tobacco, spices, amber, cream. … Incredibly strong, first of all. It knocks you over, clubs you like a falling stone. But its vast dimension is what astonishes: a huge smell, spatially immense, and incredibly complex, a buttery layer as deep as a quarry… Oudh grows inside a particular species of evergreen tree in south Asia. When the fungus attacks the tree, its wood becomes dark and resinous. Oudh is arguably the most-highly prized ingredient for perfume makers and a pound can cost as much as $25,000 (making it over six time more costly than high-grade medical cannabis). Below, more photos from my mailing. http://media.boingbo…6/MLF03_008.jpg Subscribe to my next mailing (MLF04) on Quarterly.co Taylor Scott International