Trial & Error: Altar of Incense, the Golden Altar

[trystinn]

One of my favorite things about making incense is the research and testing involved. I've been working to translate the Torah's recipe for the Altar of Incense recipe. Breaking it down into manageable quantities, I then have to figure out what the modern names for a few ingredients are and if necessary, provide replacements when necessary.

Tonight's experiment, Altar of Incense (aka 11 Spices) in tablespoons:

Cloves 2
Cinnamon .25
Cassia .5
Frankincense 2
Spikenard .5
Saffon .5
Ginger .4
Cedar .1
Galbanum 2
Balsam 2

Sadly, I'm completely out of Galbanum & Spikenard, the latter much to my befuddlement. How the hell did I run out of Spikenard? I rarely use it. Even without these two ingredients, its quite wonderful. They've been ordered, so in a few weeks I'll be able to finish the experiment and see what we've got.

Along that note, I've made an Exodus (30) Anointing Oil, we'll see how it sets up. For those curious, equal parts: Frankincense, Myrrh, Galbanum, Cinnamon, Cassia, Calamus & Styrax. So far, so good!

I'm also experimenting with the idea of offering bulk herbs, woods & resins, some powdered, on Triple Pillars. Not quite sure how I'd work that, but its something to consider.

Comments

[vicki-sine.livejournal.com]

The plant that Exodus would be refering to would yeild one of three products, an essential oil, a very oily resin, or the pressed charcoal of the plant remains soaked with oil from the plant.

For an anointing oil you would want the essential oil. Good luck finding it, and if you do can you hook me up?

You might could retrieve fragrance from the charcoal chips with a warm oil extraction, I have never tried, but to make an anointing oil it might be worth the effort. I would add the oil warm and seal it for about two weeks, then drain it off and see if you have a scented oil, then add your other ingredients.


The material that is sold in the US and Europe as Storax is not the same plant referred to in Jewish and Egyptian sources, it is related to the sweetgum tree.
It is nice too, but it is different plant and a different smell, close but different.

[tryst-inn.livejournal.com]

Given the confusion in naming, I've ordered one of each of the offerings below. They may well prove to be Storax, but I wanted to give it a shot in either case.

Here's my source, at present:

http://www.somaluna.com/prod/storax.asp
http://www.somaluna.com/prod/storax_resin.asp

If you have any additional information please let me know. I'll keep an eye out for better sources.

[vicki-sine.livejournal.com]

Probably nummy, but Liquidamber styraciflua is the sweetgum tree and Liquidamber orientalis is a mediterranean relative to the sweetgum tree.

What you are looking for is the Styrax officinalis. This is the plant that produces resintears when beaten. It was extant in the middle east during the time period of the Torah and fits the descriptions in ancient herbals for the manufacture of storax. In fact in a few places it is still processed in the old ways. However, it is rapidly becoming endangered.

The interesting news is that it has been found naturalized in California, or it maybe a related species, it is in any case very closely related.