Fragrant wood and the Six Countries and Five Flavors
The Japanese divide Southeast Asian agarwood into "Six Countries" by ancient names of origin and into "Five Flavors" by scent—a tasting vocabulary for fragrant wood unique to Japan.
The core of Japanese kodo's evaluation of fragrant wood (mainly jinko, i.e., agarwood) is the "Six Countries and Five Flavors."
| Six Countries (ancient names of origin) | Five Flavor characteristics | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Kyara(きゃら, mostly referring to Champa/Vietnamese qinan(kyara) types) | Bitter with a sweet aftertaste, considered supreme | The finest agarwood, scarce and expensive |
| Rakoku(rakoku, mostly referring to Siam/Thailand) | interwoven sweet and sour | — |
| Manaka(manaka, mostly referring to Zhenla/Cambodia) | predominantly salty | — |
| Manaban（しんなんばん） | distinct spicy (pungent-astringent) note | various theories on origin |
| Sasora（さそら） | mainly sour | various theories on origin |
| Sumandara（すもんたら） | spicy (pungent-astringent) note | various theories on origin |
"Five flavors" refers to sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and spicy (pungent-astringent). Among these,kyara(qinan(kyara) type) is regarded as the highest grade; the subdivision of the finest kyara by each school (e.g., several grades according to tone) differs by school, and their specific names are not conjectured here.
distinction between name and substance
It should be noted: this system is the Japanese incense way'scultural appraisalclassification of Southeast Asian agarwood, and is not equivalent to today's botanical production areas; scholarly opinion still differs on the modern locations corresponding to the ancient names, so here the names are listed according to incense tradition without definitive identification. Its approach of "judging incense by flavor" can be cross-referenced withA Study of Agarwood、A Study of Qinan(kyara) Origins.
Compliance note: agarwood (including qinan(kyara)) is mostly a product of tree species listed in CITES appendices; purchase and cross-border trade require proof of legal origin and compliance with domestic and foreign regulations. This page is for cultural review only and does not constitute trading advice.