Overview of Incense Countries

This page is an attempt to give an overview of the main countries of incense and the positives and negatives associated with Indian, Japanese and Tibetan-style incenses.

Indian

Positives:

• Except for the really high end and directly-sourced incenses, Indian scents can be extremely inexpensive.
• No struggle to experience the aroma due to the intense smoke and use of perfume and oils.
• Incenses are extremely unlikely to have animal-sourced ingredients.
• India is the home of the champa masala, which at its best includes halmaddi resin. They are not authentically made elsewhere.

Negatives

• The smokiest incenses on average. Can often be too much for many people, especially when poor quality.
• The cheaper incenses can be very synthetic and possibly not healthy.
• It can take some work to find the best Indian incenses. The market is dominated by cheaper incenses. Many Indian incenses are driven by corporate rather than artistic or aesthetic concerns
• Incense may include unsustainable flora. Please refer to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) for more information..

Japan

Positives

• The thinner sticks release much milder amounts of smoke and there can be low smoke options.
• The most gourmet, high-end incense sticks in the world. Particularly when it comes to aloeswood/agarwood incenses.
• Huge range of different scents.
• Japan Incense/Kohshi has generally increased availability of many Japanese lines in the United States, so these are currently widely available.
• Japan has a long standing tradition of incense use, with deep cultural, spiritual and traditional history.

Negatives

• The better Japanese incenses rise quickly in price. The best Japanese incenses are astronomical in price and are essentially luxuries.
• Ingredients may include animal-sourced ingredients or unsustainable flora. Please refer to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) for more information.
• Japanese incenses may be too quiet or delicate to experience unless it’s your complete focus.

Tibet (Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal)

Positives:

• Overall, with exceptions, Tibetan incenses are the most natural incenses available and less prone to the use of synthetics or perfumes.
• Supporting Tibetan incenses tends to support monasteries and small communities, rather than corporations or larger companies.
• Most Tibetan incenses are in the affordable range, although overall they’re on average more expensive than Indian incenses, particularly at the higher end.
• Tibetan incenses originate from a deep cultural, spiritual and traditional heritage.

Negatives:

• Many commonly found Tibetan incenses use cheap filler wood and sometimes cheap perfumes or oils and can be akin to campfires and be hard on the eyes. Look for the high end monastery or traditional incenses from a seller that goes for deeper fare. The usual Tibetan incenses you will find in the US in stores and on line are not usually deep representatives of the cultural art.
• Ingredients may include animal-sourced ingredients or unsustainable flora. Please refer to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) for more information.
• Sourcing the better Tibetan incenses can be intermittent.