Borena (Boswellia neglecta) resin - 50 g

Scientific Name: Boswellia neglecta

Family: Burseraceae

Origin: Ethiopia

Color: Dark gray

Aroma: Sweet, Fresh, Woody

Properties: Balsamic, antibacterial

Quantity: 50 grams

Boswellia neglecta, which gives rise to the incense commonly called borena, is a plant that can reach a height of up to 6 meters and grows in the southern regions of Ethiopia: Bale, Gamo Gofa, Hararghe and Sidamo, where it is called Dakara in the Oromo language.

The resin it produces, of excellent quality, can be black or white and is produced by spontaneous exudation from the wounds of the plant.

Used for its balsamic and antibacterial properties.

Description

In Ethiopia, two genera mainly grow: Boswellia, (which gives rise to the incense known as olibanum, from luban, incense in Arabic), present with seven species, and Commiphora, a plant widespread in over 50 different species, from which famous myrrh comes. They can range in size from a shrub to a tall tree. The production of the resin occurs either by spontaneous exudation from the plant, or through a methodical process of incisions on the trunk, from which a kind of latex begins to exude.

After about a month, the gum resin is sufficiently hardened to be collected. The trunk of the Boswellia can be incised up to a maximum of 12 times a year, with an interval of 15- 25 days, from September to June (before the rainy season begins), and each plant can produce one to three kg of resin.

The collection of incense is a very important job for the farmers and shepherds dedicated to this activity, guaranteeing them an income even during the dry season, in which it is almost impossible to practice agriculture.

Furthermore, Boswellia and Commiphora manage to grow even in arid and rocky lands, with a fertile soil just 20 cm deep, and their leaves constitute in the dry season a fundamental source of nourishment for goats, camels and other herbivores and a refreshment with their own shade for plants, men and animals.

Use of the resin: to burn it, it is necessary to use charcoal briquettes. They must be lit with a flame from a lighter or a stove, it is therefore recommended to use tongs or similar to avoid unpleasant burns. When the charcoal begins to light up over the entire surface, it is time to insert it into the burner to burn the resin and add the resin itself.

Experts recommend putting a little sand around the essence burner to help it dissipate heat better.

All resins are sold in 50-gram bags.