Incense cones and incense candles

History of incense cones

Christmas time, the smell of fir trees, oranges and cinnamon in the air - with incense we often think first of the winter Christmas days, in which a smoking man or smoking house is equipped with an incense candle. Using incense cones at Christmas has a long tradition, originally from the Ore Mountains, which can be traced back to the custom of consecrating incense in church. However, this is not the only ancient tradition that can be associated with the small incense cones. Independently of the development of incense in European latitudes, the use of incense cones also has a long, traditional history in Far Eastern areas such as Japan or India. The origin of incense in India is also related to religious ceremonies; in Hindu rituals, for example, the ceremonial burning of scents was done in honor of the gods.
In general, the use of incense sticks is more common in Asia, where the composition of the fragrance emitting material is rolled around a wooden stick. Incense cones were originally developed in Japan to make them more portable.

Different production of incense cones and different scents

The production of incense cones is different. The incense cones we are familiar with use substances such as resin, sandalwood or cedar wood and charcoal, which give off the Christmas smell we are familiar with.
The incense cones, which follow the use of the Asian incense culture, can be divided into different directions. A high proportion of woods and herbs is typical of the impressive highland region of Tibet. A strong, tangy fragrance is typical of the incense cones from the area of the monumental Himalayan Mountains. In traditional Japanese production, a higher proportion of oils is used, the smoke development is more delicate, the fragrance more subtle. The composition of Indian incense cones is a mixture of the Tibetan and Japanese methods of manufacture. The incense culture is very highly developed in India, and enchants with a variety of Far Eastern scents, from heavy, aromatic scents like from a 1001 Nights fairy tale to light, floral smoke aromas. Fragrant flower petals are often added to the incense blend in Indian incense candles. Probably the scents most commonly associated with the Indian incense cult are rose, patchouli and sandalwood.

Application

To light incense candles for smoking, they are first lit with a lighter or match. As soon as the tip begins to glow, the flame is carefully blown out so that the cone does not burn down, but only gives off the desired smoke in the room. So that the ashes of the slowly burning down incense cone does not fall on the table, care should be taken to provide a sufficient coaster. Especially at Christmas time, there are the typical incense smokers to buy in many stores. These can be opened and the incense cone can simply be placed inside. A possibility which is more popular especially for the incense candles of Asian origin is to use a small decorated incense bowl or incense box. If you place the cone in a bowl filled with sand, it can be safely smoked.

Differences

There are two very different directions of incense cones, which are in the European and Asian origin respectively. Here in Germany, the use of Indian scent cones with their diverse scents is now also very popular. Traditionally, they are used, among other things, for meditation and in Ayuverdic medicine.
The smoke of Indian incense cones floats like a Far Eastern atmosphere in the room, which allows one at any time to dream oneself out of everyday life into distant India. Indian incense cones are therefore popular at any time of the year and not limited to one season like the scents from the Erzgebirge.

Have fun with smoking!