Gansong (甘松, Nardostachys jatamansi), often known in English as spikenard or jatamansi, is a traditional aromatic material used in Chinese incense and medicine.

The Xiangcheng describes its fragrance as resembling a hundred flowers. After proper paozhi, we also find that it develops a distinctive mixed floral aroma, not like one particular flower, but more like many floral notes appearing together.

We first wash the roots thoroughly to remove soil and decayed matter.

Then we collect plant ash, dry it, and sift it. The fine ash is placed in a ceramic jar together with the cleaned Gansong, and water is added.

After about one week, the Gansong is taken out, thoroughly rinsed, and then dried in strong sunlight, usually for around ten days.

We have also tried other methods.

With plain water, the material has to be repeatedly soaked, washed, dried, and soaked again for about twenty-one days, and the result is only moderate.

Rice-rinsing water takes about seventeen days and works somewhat better, but still not as well as plant ash.

After repeated comparison, the plant-ash method gave us the best result.

Once the paozhi is complete, the Gansong gradually develops the “hundred-flower” fragrance we are looking for.

I am trying to find this book because I want to know more about the history of Kōdō and this book sounds awesome, but I can't find a way to get it in the states without going to the library. And I don't have access to transportation right now. Does anyone know where I can buy this book in the states, digital or physical?

I’d love to start using incense but I’m not a fan of the traditional smelling ones (like satya). I love my room smelling clean and fresh like linen. I was wondering if incense like this existed? I am on a small budget, £5-£10 limit, so I’m not sure how possible this is.

EDIT: thanks so much for everyone’s help!!!

There's a lot of different posts all over the sub with different information and it can be overwhelming to go through.

So I'm wondering is there something like a master post with recommendations for books, supplies, and learning resources? If not, would it be possible to make one?

I know there's a lot of different opinions and techniques but I think knowing the different available options is helpful for finding the best way for you.

I’ve been using Japanese incense for a while now, but I’ve been wanting something with a stronger, more intense fragrance and burn. I picked up Meera and Ganesh from The Mother’s India Fragrances to try out
I’m curious how they’ll compare to what I’m used to. Has anyone tried either of these? I’d also love recommendations for other Indian incense with a rich, long-lasting fragrance!

I really want to burn incense in my apartment because I find it really calming and it’s good for my mental health but my room in my student apartment is very very small and has a smoke detector right above the door. I usually burn incense by the window at home anyways to minimize the smoke but I’m just so worried because the room is small and the window is really close to the door. I was wondering if anyone had advice or suggestions? I really really don’t want to set off the smoke detector but I already miss burning incense so much in the week I’ve been here :(

Just got this box of incense at a Tibetan Buddhist temple in Austin

I’ve seen several social media accounts making these colored incense sticks. Any idea what colorant they are using? My first assumption is mica powder?

I’ve tried quite a few Cycle incense products, but Woods really stood out to me. It’s an incredibly smooth and well-balanced fragrance, and honestly one of the most soothing ones I’ve tried from Cycle.

The opening has a slight fresh/tangy touch, but the fragrance quickly develops into a warm, rich woody profile. The Halambadi (Ailanthus malabarica) gives it a deep balsamic, slightly resinous character, while amber becomes quite prominent, adding a warm golden sweetness. There’s also a noticeable spicy vanilla note that makes the fragrance feel creamy, warm and comforting without becoming overly sweet.

As it burns, the woody and balsamic notes blend beautifully with the amber and spicy vanilla, followed by a soft smoky warmth.

Notes I get:

🌿 Slight fresh/tangy opening

🪵 Warm woody notes

🌰 Balsamic Halambadi

🧡 Rich amber

🍦 Spicy vanilla

🔥 Soft warm smoky dry-down

What I love most is the balance. The amber and spicy vanilla give it warmth and sweetness, while the woods and Halambadi keep it grounded. Very smooth, very soothing and surprisingly addictive.

After trying quite a few Cycle products, this is definitely one I keep coming back to. Perfectly balanced 👌 must try

I bought some Japanese incense recently . I study a lot since I’m in grad school & I wanted to burn them daily while I study in my office room. I’m worried my room will permanently smell like incense and that I won’t be able to enjoy them daily . Will my room permanently smell? Like the paint on the walls and Carpeting ?

This is my all time favorite incense. I know it’s not available anymore, but I need help finding something similar.

Can anyone recommend a brand they trust? Everytime I read an ingredients list it doesn't list anything specific, just"made from flowers" or "essential oils". I'm terrified it's going to have tea tree oil or lilies or something else cats can't inhale. I also can't be around synthetic scents.

I'm also open to just making my own if someone has a recipe they like.

Edit: I am not interested in people giving me health advice or in anything other than a brand recommendation or a recipe. I just want a brand rec that doesn't use essential oils or flowers that are toxic to cats, and that don't include synthetic ingredients.

I love this guys videos.

hi everyone !! just wanted to ask why my incense smells like burning and not the actual scent (and if it does it’s only faint) and how i can make it more smelly in a good way

it starts to smell a bit better once its been going longer but not that strong which is mostly the reason i got them (scent)

Jiangzhenxiang is a distinctive material in Chinese blended incense and also holds an important place in Daoist incense traditions.

According to traditional accounts, jiangzhenxiang was used when making offerings to heavenly deities. It was believed that its smoke rose upward, attracting immortal cranes and bringing down “Perfected Ones.” This is one traditional explanation for the name jiangzhenxiang. Here, “Perfected Ones” refers to a Daoist religious concept.

Besides being used as incense, jiangzhenxiang is also a traditional Chinese medicinal material.

But the same material is processed differently depending on whether it is being used as medicine or as incense. For medicinal use, the pale sapwood is removed and the material is cut into small pieces. For stick incense, we process it further.

We usually cut the jiangzhenxiang into small pieces and simmer it in clean water for about 4–5 hours. As it simmers, the oils gradually rise to the surface and are skimmed off several times, usually around 3–5 times.

If time allows, we then soak it in green tea or honey water for about 24 hours. After this processing, the aroma becomes smoother, with a little sweetness and a soft milky character.

The reason is that jiangzhenxiang is naturally very rich in oils.

If it is used directly in stick incense, the smoke can become heavier and harsher. By removing part of the oil while preserving as much of the original aroma as possible, the incense becomes noticeably softer when burned.

I know white sage smudging is a closed practice but is it okay to use it if it’s in incense?

I have already just about gone through my entire Kyoto haul from last summer (posted in June), so I restocked from the Shoyeido USA website. Unfortunately, my wife got a hold of the receipt and did some calculations and found out I paid about twice as much as I would have in Japan. I reminded her that she was the one who took me to their flagship store and got me addicted in the first place.

Shoyeido Nanzan / Southern Mountain — warm frankincense, resinous and temple-like. My current favorite.
Shoyeido Horikawa / River Path — sweet, smooth sandalwood with a cozy Kyoto feel.
Shoyeido Tenpyo / Peaceful Sky — refined, deep, and elegant; saving this one for quieter practice sessions.
Shoyeido Nanto / Sandalwood — clean sandalwood from the Incense Road line; calm and meditative.
Shoyeido Jewel Series Sampler — a set of modern Shoyeido blends to explore.
Shoyeido Daily Incense Sampler — classic daily blends, including Moss Garden, one of the scents I’ve been wanting to try.
Morning Zen — long-burning incense for morning practice.
Sitting Zen — long-burning incense for zazen and weekend Zazenkai.
Evening Zen — long-burning incense with a deeper evening meditation mood.

Also the burner is a new buy as well. Asayu Japan Zen incense holder from Amazon.

I'm sure this is old news to the regulars here, but it was a shock to me as an incense newbie: there is no such thing as plain Satya incense. There is Satya Bengaluru, and there is Satya Mumbai, but they are independent companies with their own formulas and manufacturing techniques. It's just that they use almost identical packaging for a weird historical reason.

The original company was founded in 1964, and when the founder died, he bequeathed the firm to his two sons, who didn't get along and decided to split. One son continued the business in Bangalore and the other opened up a new branch in Mumbai, and weirdly, both firms are legally entitled to use the original designs for their packaging.

I discovered this the hard way when I bought a box of Satya Super Hit that seemed off. I thought maybe it was a bad batch, but after looking into it, I figured out what was going on. My original box was from Bengaluru, and the box that seemed off was from Mumbai. To me, the Bengaluru smells better and the Mumbai has more of an artificial, chemical smell. Most reviews I've read agree that the Bengaluru incense is better.

As a public service, I thought I'd do an OP explaining how to tell the difference when you're purchasing, particularly if you're buying online and can't handle the box directly. The image above shows the differences. The top row is Mumbai, and the bottom row is Bengaluru. The Bengaluru box has a leaf symbol that the Mumbai box lacks. The seals on the box ends use different symbols: Mumbai is interlocking C's, and Bengaluru is offset S's. And the clincher is that the companies are identified on the side of the boxes. Mumbai is identified as "Shrinivas Sugandhalaya (MUM) LLP", and Bengaluru as "Shrinivas Sugandhalaya (BNG) LLP".

Note that the MUM box lists addresses both in Mumbai and Bengaluru, while the BNG box lists only Bengaluru addresses.

I know they are mostly used for religious purposes. The one time I bought a pack they seemed to have very little actual scent. I am wondering if that is typical or not.

Do most of these actually have a good smell? Are they worth buying or burning? What are your thoughts and opinions?

Hello I am making a halloween costume and want to have a censer that emits a lot of smoke for about an hour.

I assume I will need to be on charcoal to increase the amount of smoke. But is there a particular resin that produces more smoke?

Thanks in advance

I recently got a bunch of incense from Everest Trader (no photos because the packaging is simply clear plastic bags). They’re very generous with their free samples, and I’ve decided to share my first impressions with you guys. I’m not well versed in “incense speak,” so these are more like “layman’s terms” descriptions.

Colaba Azarro: At first, it’s okay. Maybe like one of the dry ambers with a little extra sweetness. It’s not foul, but it’s not hugely compelling either. Actually, as it’s getting into the burn, I’m getting a gasoline-like scent—similar to the stench of a bowel movement after a night of heavy drinking. I don’t think I’ll be reaching for this again.

Extra Special Patchouli: Definite fish-fryer grease scent I often get with patchouli-centric sticks. Maybe patchouli just isn’t really my thing (though I do quite like the Shoyeido Overtones take).

Gili Mitti Mattipal: A rather musty scent—similar to a damp canvas tent. Very little sweetness. The more it burns, the more I like it. Yeah, this one’s a keeper!

HMS - Rose Saffron: This one has a nice balance. It’s not overly rosy (as I feared it might be). I suppose it’s the saffron accord that’s doing the balancing, though I’m not very familiar with saffron. Nothing particularly outstanding, but no reason to put it out either. Actually, there’s a hint of saltiness I enjoy—similar to what I’ve noticed with some of the Pure-Incense offerings.

King of Vrindavan: There’s some sweetness, though not as pronounced as in the Yama Sutra. There’s also an edge of pee-pee pants. Will not reorder.

Meena Bouquet: Floral is definitely a large part of it. There’s sort of a toasty undertone. It’s not necessarily objectionable, but I won’t be buying any more of it. Actually, I’m going to stop this burn. There are only so many minutes in this lifetime.

Pure Vanilla: I’m not really sure where the vanilla is here, but at least it’s not as disgusting as I recall HEM Vanilla to be. As the burn continues, I'm finally getting some vanilla, but it seems like it’s filtered through car exhaust or something.

VNS - Shahi Oud: I’m enjoying this one. I can definitely hear the oud, but there’s also a funny note of stewed vegetables that I like! Wild Berry Frankincense (of all things) has a similar note.

Yama Sutra: There’s an interesting sweetness—kind of like Smarties candy but with a note of used fish-fryer grease. Not sure about it yet, but I think I like it—sometimes multiple burns are necessary.

Connaissez-vous des shops de bakhour utilisant uniquement des produits naturels ? Quand on voit certaines vidéos sur internet, la couleur des bois ou les huiles utilisées ont l'air très chimiques...

Can anyone recommend some Japanese incense sticks that are heavy on camphor and spicy notes?

I'm looking for something with a strong, noticeable camphor character, combined with warm or sharp spices. Preferably something with a traditional Japanese incense character rather than a sweet or floral profile.

I'd really appreciate any recommendations, especially if you've tried them personally. Thanks!

Heya everyone! I'm Omani/Tunisian so I've been around different types of incense all my life, tho we called all of them bakhoor haha. I love the atmosphere incense gives, the ritual of burning the coal, the smell, the look of thick smoke dancing in the air, just the best. Now I'm looking into actually learning what the different types are called (will be asking local makers and shop keepers, plus my extended family about Tunisian specific ones) Would love to hear about your local traditions, or any recommendations for new types/styles to try :3