Incense

At its simplest incense is just a fragrant dried plant mix which can be burnt by sprinkling it over a flame. For convenience it's rarely sold in this form in the Western stores. Instead we usually buy it in one of two forms: sticks or cones. In their natural form these tend to be a straw or brown colour however some manufacturers today are producing coloured incense.

Cones

Incense cones are in essence just shaped lumps of incense, often around an inch (2 to 3 cm) in height. They burn fairly quickly and give off a strong scent. They are placed on some form of metal plate or bowl to catch the burnt debris or used in a special incense burner.

Sticks

An incence stick is a layer of incense attached around a thin wooden stick and is commonly known as a joss stick. The wooden stick is usually made from bamboo or sandalwood and is around 12 inches (30cm) long.

Sticks burn and give off their scent more slowly and for longer than cones. They are used in a special burner/holder that can often support a number of different sticks at once. This allows for greater flexibility in the "blending" of scents. These burners can either be plain or decorative and often have designs such as dragons or Buddhist imagery. Soapstone incense holders are a popular choice.

As with cones, provision must be made to catch the burnt remnants.

Other

Although sticks and cones are by far the most common ways to buy incense in the West many other burning methods can be found around the world including coils and sticks. These are shaped from pure incense with no core. Coils can burn for an extended period whilst sticks allow specific amounts to be easily broken off.

Always be extremely careful when dealing with flame or burning substances and put safety first.

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