We have acquired several champa incenses over the years. The classic “blue box” nag champa has changed so much over the years that we barely recognize it. Some have remained unchanged, like Nitiraj Natural Masala Incense. It’s everything one expects in an old school champa. It’s sweet, spicy, mildly floral, and has a lightly resinous kick to clean things up. Just what is a champa? Champas are defined by the presence of a key ingredient called halmaddi. It’s a sticky sap from a specific tree that carries a distinctive fragrance that is lightly sweet, spicy, and mildly floral. Nitiraj Natural Masala Incense so faithful to the style that it transports us back to rooms bathed in black light. Please, if you’re a champa fan, give this one a whirl.
Tag: champa
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About Raj Laxmi Incense
There’s always room for another classic champa incense. We don’t keep it a secret that the most well known of champa incenses has changed so very much since the early 90s that we can’t recognize it at all. Some champas haven’t changed, Raj Laxmi Incense is one of them. Just what is a champa, one may ask? Champas are incenses that are defined by the key component called “halmaddi”. It is a sap from a specific tree that gives champa incenses their distinctive sweet, spicy, floral quality. All too many incenses called a champa contain no halmaddi. Once one has had a few halmaddi containing champas they develop a nose for just what it’s like. a few examples besides Raj Laxmi Incense are Sairanjani Champa, Tree of Life Champa, and Jah Love. Another clue to the presence of halmaddi is that the sticks are often soft and slightly damp to the touch. Halmaddi has the strange property of drawing moisture from the surrounding air. If you’re a champa enthusiast, do give Raj Laxmi a go.
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About Jah Love Incense
There can never be too much love, and there can never be too many champa incenses. It’s but one of may rules we live by. Jah Love is indeed a classic champa incense. So you ask, “What is a champa incense?” A true champa is defined by the presence of one key component called “halmaddhi”, sometimes spelled “halmaddi”. It is a sap from a very specific tree that lends its unique, sweet, spicy, floral element to incenses. Once one has had a few halmaddhi incenses, they will be able to spot it right away. One of the tell-tale signs is that the sticks rarely completely dry out. Halmaddhi has a way of always remaining slightly damp by attracting water right out of the air, so champas tend to be somewhat soft and damp to the touch. Jah Love certainly is one of the few remaining halmaddhi-based incenses along with other classics such as Raj Laxmi, Sairanjani Champa, Nitiraj Natural Masala, and Shanthimalai Nag Champa as examples.
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Tree of Life Champa
We love champa incenses. This isn’t something that we keep as a secret. We’re always looking for another one to add to our selection. When we found Tree of Life Champa, we knew it had to be part of our library of incenses. This offering is from the Tree of Life company that also produces the wonderful and powerful Mars Choice and Champaka, so we knew it would be solid before we even tried it. It’s such a wonderful classic champa incense. It’s rich, complex, satisfying, semi-sweet, full of spice and distant florals. It gets much of its fragrance from that key component called “Halmaddhi” that defines champa incenses and distinguishes them from others. Please, if you’re a champa fan, or even just an incense user, Tree of Life Champa needs to be experienced.
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Nitiraj Natural Masala Incense
Over the years, there have been many champa incenses, all of such varying quality. The classic that we all know so well, the famed blue box Shrinivas Sugandhalaya has undergone so many changes since the 90s that it is nothing similar to its original formula. It’s still a good fragrance, but it has changed so very much. A champa that we have come to love so much, Nitiraj Natural Masala Incense, thankfully hasn’t changed as long as we have known it. It’s a classic champa, meaning what? A true champa should include a key ingredient known as “halmaddhi” (the spelling of which can vary). It’s a sap from a specific tree, much like other sap incenses like frankincense or myrrh. It carries a unique fragrance that is semi-sweet, somewhat spicy, and somewhat floral. Halmaddhi defines this incense. It is right up front. It captures the scent of headshops and black light rooms and 60s pads. It’s like a time machine in a stick of incense. If you’re a champa fan, please do give this selection a go.