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Deep in the forests and plantations of Laos grows a remarkable tree capable of producing one of the world's most fascinating natural aromatic materials: agarwood. To some, it's simply a piece of dark, resinous wood. To an experienced Arabian oud trader, a Japanese incense connoisseur or a master perfumer, it can be something altogether more extraordinary. Welcome to the world of Laos agarwood — where trees, time, nature and human craftsmanship combine to create something trul

There are easier businesses to work in than agarwood. There are certainly easier products to explain. But after around 20 years working with agarwood and oud in Laos, Indochina and international markets, I still find very few natural products quite as fascinating. Agarwood begins with a tree. What eventually emerges can become one of the most highly prized natural aromatic materials in the world. That journey — from tree, to resin, to wood, to oud oil, and finally into the ha