Blog

Distillation Station

As some of you know, we own and operate our frankincense distillery in Muscat, Oman, where we have access to the best, juiciest, most fragrant and delicious Omani gum/resin. Boswellia sacra, that’s all we do. We started in 2008, in Salalah, with one single alembic, and made it official in 2011, growing to 5 stills. In 2016 we shifted to Muscat, where we remain today, in our small and sturdy distillery by the sea, using 10 copper alembics in a closed and renewable system, that generates ve …

Cake and Eat It

No season in New York is complete without a trek to Joe’s house, and aroma-tidbit time.“When do you want to come for geranium-jasmine cake?” he asked.Well, of course I answered as any sane person would: “As soon as possible please!"And so I went the other night, up to visit him at the north end of a bare and wintry Central Park.The cake was flavored with geranium absolute (yes, absolute, deal with it) with rose filling and jasmine sambac frosting. I mean please.Need I say anything about thes …

Tuberose in India

One summer, about 2006, I had the pleasure of visiting a Tuberose farm near Pune. Indian farm plots are quite small--this one was about an acre I think. Marigolds were planted along the edges, and interspersed with the tuberose.Like asparagus, tuberose grows as a single long stalk; not on a bush or tree. There is no relation to Rose--the Latin binomial is Polianthus tuberosa whereas roses all belong to the Rosa ssp.In India, tuberose flowers are primarily used in temples. In fact, about 8 …