Chinese Incense Culture(香学) · Incense-making Craft
Making Stick Incense
Stick incense is the most common incense today: incense powder mixed with binder is extruded into thin strips, dried in the shade and cut into segments, and can be burned over a direct flame.
Stick incense originated around the Yuan and Ming dynasties; being convenient to use and affordable, it has become the most familiar incense product for people today.
Steps
- Selecting materials and blending: Blend agarwood, sandalwood and other incense powders in proportion according to the incense formula.
- Adding binder: Mix in nanmu bark powder or elm bark powder (natural binders with almost no scent of their own).
- Kneading the dough: Add water and knead until the firmness is just right so it can be extruded without breaking.
- Extruding incense: Use a funnel or an incense-making machine to squeeze the incense paste into even thin strips.
- Arranging the incense: Lay flat on a board, straighten, and prevent sticking.
- Shade drying: Dry in the shade away from the sun (sun exposure easily causes cracking and loss of fragrance), then cut into sections and it is done.
Ancient methods and modern production
Ancient methods used only natural incense powder and binder powder; today's market products often contain chemical binders and fragrance essences, thereforerecognizing incenseand distinguishing incense are especially important. Good incense sticks should be "smokeless yet moist, burn evenly and long, with white ash that does not scatter."