February 2019 brought a visit with the Camel and Goat herders of the Somali region of Ethiopia. What was once called the “Ogaden”. They are the collectors of Frankincense and Myrrh.
The Frankincense collectors. Somali Region-Ethiopia
Ethics & Sustainability
DIY Distillation-Frankincense Dalzielii
Continuing with the theme of DIY and home distillation, this is my latest easy to make distillation unit showcasing today’s distillation of Frankincense Dalzielii from Nigeria. A gorgeous looking resin that yields a superb essential oil.
Commiphora confusa. The Myrrh that is a Frankincense.
Visually and aromatically similar to Boswellia or Frankincense neglecta and often mixed in with it, Commiphora confusa stands out as a unique aromatic material deserving a market of its own.
Botany for the Distiller-Ethics, Intelligence, and the Pursuit of Quality
While we fashion our tools and equipment by mimicking Nature’s processes and rhythms, the art and artistry of a thing is drawn from within us, independent of the tools we work with.
Boswellia neglecta Thurimel. Somalia Co-op harvested
I usually don’t post shop listings on the blog and make an effort to keep the sales pitch to a bare minimum here. However, there is a lot of important information in this particular shop listing and I don’t want to write it all again for the blog. Not so much lazy as I seem […]
Civet perfume & Coffee. A call for community involvement.
I have Civet farmers and exporters ready to move forward with this project. What we need now is participation from the West to take it to the next level.
Vanilla sex-Hand pollination in Madagascar
The act is completed with a kiss of fingers as the flower is pressed firmly to ensure full contact and fertilization. Flowers must be pollinated within 12 hours of opening so there is an underlying sense of urgency to the act.
An East African Aromatic Adventure
With only a day left in Africa, I feel I need to offer a brief overview of my latest aromatic trip just to keep everyone abreast. Once back in Canada I will write in detail about this last trip to Madagascar and Kenya. So much has happened during these past three weeks and so many things […]
Lollygagging with Lemurs
Besides exploring the rich array of aromatics in Madagascar, meeting farmers, harvesters and exporters, my host and I hope to build a small distillation unit with the goal of training local artisans to produce high quality essential oils and direct more of our Western dollars to their communities.
