HERBAL INCENSE INFORMATION II/III

      Title: HERBAL INCENSE INFORMATION II/III
  Categories: Seasonings, Info
       Yield: 1 Info below
  
       1    Info below
  
                        - Basic Incense Ingredients -
   
   "AROMATIC:  Any herb, spice, or botanical powder that gives off a
   pleasingly scented smoke when burning. These include many kinds of
   wood (such as sandalwood and juniper) and bark (such as cinnamon) as
   well as some leaves.  The smoke from burning herbs smells different
   from the fresh or dried herb itself.  To test the fragrance of herb
   smoke, drop a small amount of the dried herb on a hot piece of
   charcoal. I have never heard of an herb whose smoke was toxic, though
   certain mushrooms can produce narcotic fumes. Essential oils also can
   be substituted for the aromatic plant material; again, test on hot
   charcoal.
   
   "BASE:  A substance that burns readily with either a pleasant aroma
   or no aroma at all.  The base aids in the burning of the aromatic and
   often enhances or tempers the scent. The most popular bases are
   powders derived from woody plants: sandalwood, cassia, vetiver,
   willow, evergreen needles, and charcoal.  You can make the wood
   powders yourself by processing sawdust in your blender for two
   minutes on high speed. Talc or clay is sometimes added to slow the
   rate of burning, but I don't recommend talc because it can cause
   respiratory irritation. Potassium nitrate (saltpeter, available at
   drugstores) may be added to a base to ignite it more quickly and
   evenly.
   
   "BONDING AGENT:  A resin or gum that holds the aromatic and base
   together. Bonding agents that burn well without giving off toxic
   smoke and are readily available include agar, karaya, gum arabic, and
   tragacanth. Of these, tragacanth is the binder most often
   recommended...it's the easiest to work with and gives the best
   results for shaped incense."
   
   "LIQUID:  Water is easiest and cheapest, although creative incense
   makers may not be satisfied when there are much more interesting
   liquids to use: wine, brandy, herb waters, olive oil, and tinctures,
   to mention just a few. I haven't noticed a significant difference in
   either the odor or the burnability of the incense.
   
   "COLORING AGENTS:  The easiest way to color incense is with food
   coloring, but plants can also supply natural colors: for example, red
   sandalwood for red, willow for brown, safflower for yellow, and
   charcoal for black."
   
   Excerpted from Sandy Maine's "Herbal Incense" article in "The Herb
   Companion."  Dec. 1992/Jan. 1993, Vol. 5, No. 2. Pg. 37. Posted by
   Cathy Harned.
[ add our full cookbook to your website ] [ Search The Cookbook ]