Frankincense (Olibanum)

Frankincense (or olibanum) is the resin of Boswellia trees, primarily grown in Oman, Somalia, and Yemen. Steam-distilled, it smells of lemon-peel, pine, and church incense — the same material burned in religious ceremonies for millennia. In perfumery it's the defining note of the 'incense oriental' subfamily: Amouage Jubilation XXV, Comme des Garçons Avignon, and Chanel Coromandel all rest on it. The best frankincense (Boswellia sacra from Oman's Dhofar region) is resinous and slightly fruity; Somali is sharper and more lemony.