Omani heritage

Hojari frankincense: Oman’s finest luban

Frankincense — اللبان — is the resin of the Boswellia sacra tree, and the trees of Dhofar in southern Oman have produced the most sought-after grades for more than two thousand years. Hojari is the top of that harvest: tapped by hand, rested until the tears harden, then sorted by colour and clarity before it ever reaches a censer.

The Dhofar grades

Hojari

The most prized grade, harvested from Boswellia sacra trees in the limestone hills inland of Salalah. Pale green to silvery tears with a clean, citrus-bright smoke.

Najdi

Gathered on the arid plateau north of the Dhofar mountains. Amber-toned tears with a warmer, slightly sweeter resin note.

Shazri & Sha'bi

Everyday household grades from the coastal side, darker in colour and heavier in smoke — traditionally burnt to scent majlis, clothes and linen.

How to burn it

Light a charcoal disc until it stops sparking and settles to grey ash, then place two or three tears on top. Hojari burns brightest in the first few minutes — keep the censer low and let the smoke rise through clothes and curtains rather than directly at the flame. A pinch is enough for a whole majlis, and the scent lingers for hours.

Frankincense as a perfume oil

Distilled rather than burnt, the same resin becomes a soft, resinous oil that wears close to the skin — lemon-peel brightness at the opening, dry incense underneath.