Four terms come up often when I talk about Chinese incense. The first explains how I think about a blend. The other three describe ways that agarwood forms, is discussed and is traded.
Jun-chen-zuo-shi (君臣佐使): four roles in a blend
The names come from traditional Chinese formula language. In an incense blend, the “monarch” sets the main scent. The “minister” supports it, the “assistant” can soften or round it out, and the “guide” helps the materials work together. I use these roles to think through a recipe. They do not give an incense blend a medical purpose.
Resin formation (结香)
Agarwood is resin-rich wood that can form in Aquilaria and Gyrinops trees in response to injury or other stress. A tree does not always produce resin-rich wood after injury, and the time varies. The CITES report on agarwood explains formation and harvesting.
Sinking (沉水)
Whether wood sinks tells you about the density of that piece relative to water. It does not establish the species, source, age or quality. I consider aroma when deciding what I enjoy, but I check provenance separately.
Hui’an (惠安) and Xingzhou (星洲)
These names are used in the incense trade for broad regional styles. I often describe a Hui’an-style aroma as cool and sweet, and a Xingzhou-style aroma as deeper or more resinous. The descriptions are impressions, not tests of where a piece came from. See our guide to agarwood incense for more about the material.
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