Oud is the fragrant resin that forms inside agarwood (Aquilaria) trees. It is used three ways: as oud wood (oud khashab) burned for its smoke, as oud oil (dehn al oud) distilled from the wood, and as the deep, woody note in oud perfumes and attars.
Why oud is so valued
Agarwood only forms its dark, scented resin in a small share of trees, and it takes many years. That rarity, plus a smell that is woody, smoky, sweet and animalic all at once, has made oud a prized material across Arabia and India for centuries.
Hindi, Cambodi and other ouds
Oud from different regions smells different. Indian (Hindi) oud is often deep, earthy and animalic. Cambodian (Cambodi) oud tends to be sweeter and fruitier. Aged or 'qadeem' oils are smoother and more complex.
How to wear oud oil
Use the smallest dab on its own, or under an attar or perfume to give it depth. A little lasts a very long time.
Questions people ask
Is oud the same as agarwood?
Oud is the scented resin of agarwood; the word is used for the wood, the oil and the scent.
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Written by the Ayyub Ali Fragrances family, perfumers in Hyderabad since 1986.