What is Frankincense?

Frankincense is the hardened resin of trees in the Boswellia genus (family Burseraceae), primarily Boswellia sacra and the closely related Boswellia carterii. It ships as "tears," the droplets of resin collected from tapped trees. This is a resin rather than a dried leaf or root, which is why it is prepared and used differently from most botanicals.

About the resin

The Boswellia trees grow in the arid mountains of southern Arabia and the East African Horn. Growers make small incisions in the bark, and the milky sap that seeps out hardens into tears of resin, which are then collected. Frankincense was one of the most valuable commodities of the ancient world, carried north along the Incense Route across the Levant for over a thousand years and valued in Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and Hebrew practice. The English name comes from the Old French "franc encens," meaning high-quality incense. The aroma is warm and balsamic with citrus and pine notes, and it varies by Boswellia species and origin. The primary compound class is the boswellic acids.

How Frankincense is burned

The traditional method uses incense charcoal. A piece of charcoal is lit until it glows and ashes over, then set in a heatproof bowl on a bed of sand, and a single tear of resin is placed on top. The resin melts and releases fragrant white smoke for several minutes. Frankincense is also distilled into an essential oil and included in many traditional incense blends.

Frankincense: form & sizes

We carry organic Frankincense as whole resin tears, sold by weight in sizes from 1 oz to 1 lb. We make no health or therapeutic claims.

Storage

Store the resin in an airtight container, away from heat, light, and humidity, to preserve its aroma.

Frankincense at a glance

Botanical name

Boswellia sacra and related species

Family

Burseraceae

Native region

the Arabian Peninsula and East Africa

Form

Hardened resin tears

Sourcing

Organic

Sizes

1 oz to 1 lb