Anisha Riggs
Incense-making is a meditative and creative process that has been practised by countless generations and civilisations since before the Stone Age. Incense is used in ceremonies, for healing, and for cleansing an area. Making coil incense involves creating a mixture of powdered ingredients, such as aromatic plants, resins, and woods, and forming this mixture into a spiral shape. The incense mixture can be combined with a binder, such as Makko, a natural tree bark from Southeast Asia, to aid in binding and burning. The spiral-shaped incense is then placed in a burner with a wide, flat bowl to prevent accidental fires and provide sufficient oxygen. The outside end of the coil is lit, and the flame is gently blown out, allowing the coil to smoulder and burn towards the centre, leaving behind a trail of ash.
How to Make Coil Incense
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Fine natural resins, woods, herbs, and aromatic plants |
| Binding Agent | Makko (a natural tree bark from the Machillus Thunbergii tree) |
| Mixing | Each ingredient is carefully measured and mixed in a container, then put through a sieve to remove impurities |
| Kneading | Water is added to the mixture to form a uniform paste called "Tama" |
| Shaping | The paste is shaped into cones, sticks, or coils |
| Drying | The shaped incense is left to dry slowly for about a week in summer and ten days in winter |
| Burning | The incense is lit at one end, and the flame is fanned out to burn continuously |
| Burner | Burn incense in a cup, bowl, saucer, shell, or a specialty holder; use a heat-proof burner and a layer of sand, salt, or rice to absorb heat |
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What You'll Learn
- Choosing your ingredients: Use aromatic plants, resins, and herbs
- Mixing: Combine ingredients in powdered form with a binding agent like Makko
- Shaping: Form the mixture into cones, sticks, or coils
- Drying: Allow shaped incense to air-dry slowly, adjusting to prevent bending
- Burning: Use a heat-proof burner with sand, salt, or rice to absorb heat
Choosing your ingredients: Use aromatic plants, resins, and herbs
Incense has been used for creating aromatic spaces, as well as for religious and medicinal purposes, since ancient times. Burning aromatic herbs and resins is a tradition that can be found all over the world through countless generations.
When choosing your ingredients, opt for aromatic plants, resins, and herbs. You can use commonly found or grown botanicals in temperate regions, such as lemongrass and rosemary, which can be combined with marshmallow root powder (Althaea officinalis) as a binding agent. Sandalwood is common to almost every incense formula and serves as a base aroma and a burning agent. Frankincense, mastic, storax, cassia, juniper, and lemongrass are other popular choices.
If you want to experiment with different ingredients, make sure you know the plant is safe, and create your own meaningful blends. Incense recipes are very forgiving, so you can play around with different combinations of local ingredients.
Makko, a natural tree bark from an evergreen tree that grows in Southeast Asia, can also be used as a binding and burning agent. It is a water-soluble binder that contains no synthetic chemicals, charcoal, or salt peter. It comes in four grades, with the higher grades having less aroma.
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Mixing: Combine ingredients in powdered form with a binding agent like Makko
When making coil incense, mixing is a crucial step that involves combining the right ingredients in powdered form with a binding agent like Makko. Makko, derived from the bark of the Tabu-no-ki tree (Machillus Thunbergii) native to Southeast Asia, acts as a natural combustible binder and burning agent. It is important to note that Makko comes in four grades, with higher grades having less aroma. The special adhesive properties of Makko make it ideal for binding incense ingredients together without adding any scent of its own.
To begin the mixing process, carefully measure each incense ingredient to ensure precise proportions. Combine these ingredients in a mixing container, ensuring that they are in a fine powdered form to facilitate blending, kneading, and drying. Once thoroughly mixed, pass the powder through a sieve to remove any impurities and achieve a uniform texture. This step is crucial for creating a smooth and consistent incense blend.
After sieving, add Makko powder to the mixture. It is recommended to use at least 10% Makko, but the amount may vary depending on the other ingredients and the humidity of your location. The water-soluble nature of Makko allows it to bind the ingredients together and burn smoothly. Next, gradually add a small amount of warm water to the mixture and knead it thoroughly. This process will transform the dry powder into a uniform paste called "Tama."
Using a porcelain mortar and pestle, continue to knead the tama until it reaches a consistent consistency. This step ensures that the incense dough is ready to be shaped. You can then form the dough into coils or other desired shapes, such as cones or sticks. Remember to let the incense dry slowly to prevent cracking and curling. The drying process can be controlled by using specially ventilated rooms with warm and humid conditions.
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Shaping: Form the mixture into cones, sticks, or coils
Shaping your incense mixture into cones, sticks, or coils is a crucial step in the incense-making process. Each shape has its own unique burning characteristics and aesthetic appeal. Here's a detailed guide to help you with the shaping process:
Cones: To shape your incense mixture into cones, start by preparing a uniform paste, also known as "Tama." You can achieve this by kneading the mixture thoroughly and adding a small amount of water at a time. Once you have a consistent paste, carefully form it into cone shapes using your hands or a mould. Place the cones on a drying tray and adjust them with a board to ensure they remain straight as they dry. The drying process can take about a week in the summer and up to ten days in the winter, depending on the climate.
Sticks: Creating incense sticks, also known as "Senko," involves a similar process to cone-making. After preparing the uniform paste, you'll carefully roll out the mixture into thin sticks. Cut the sticks to the proper length and place them on drying racks. During the drying process, use a board to adjust the sticks and prevent bending. Proper drying can take several days, and once dry, the sticks can be bound together in bundles.
Coils: Forming your incense mixture into coils involves shaping the paste into a spiral. Carefully work the paste into a coil shape, ensuring it doesn't break or crack during the process. Place the coils on a flat surface to dry, and be sure to handle them gently as they can be more fragile than cones or sticks. The drying time for coils may vary depending on their size and the environmental conditions.
Regardless of the shape you choose, it's important to remember that the drying process is a delicate phase. Japanese incense-makers have developed techniques to control drying time, ensuring the incense dries slowly and evenly. Additionally, you can experiment with different binding agents, such as marshmallow root powder or Makko (incense powder made from tree bark), to help hold the shapes together during drying.
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Drying: Allow shaped incense to air-dry slowly, adjusting to prevent bending
The drying stage is a critical step in making incense. After shaping your incense mixture into coils, place them on drying trays and racks to dry. This process can take several days, and it's important to ensure that the coils are adjusted regularly to prevent bending and to maintain their shape.
To speed up the drying process, you can place the trays in front of a fan in the driest room of your house. You can also try adding ingredients with anti-fungal properties, such as resins, to your incense mixture to prevent mould from forming in humid climates. Charcoal can also be used to make the incense dry faster, but it will also burn faster, and you may need to add more binder to your mixture.
Another method to prevent bending is to use a board to adjust the coils and remove the space between them as they dry. This technique is used by Japanese incense makers, who are known for their skill and attention to detail in the incense-making process. They have perfected the art of controlling drying time, allowing incense to dry slowly—about a week in the summer and ten days in the winter.
Once the coils are completely dry, store them in airtight containers or jars to protect them from air exposure, which can cause the scents to fade over time. Keep them in a cool, dry location away from direct sunlight and moisture to maintain their quality, fragrance, and effectiveness.
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Burning: Use a heat-proof burner with sand, salt, or rice to absorb heat
When burning coil incense, it is important to use a heat-proof burner with sand, salt, or rice to absorb the heat. This is because cones produce more heat than sticks or coils, and you need to make sure your burner is heat-proof.
To begin, prepare your burner by spreading a layer of sand, salt, or uncooked rice to help absorb the heat. You can purchase a burner designed for coil incense, which has a small gourd shape with a slot for the coil. Fire-resistant cotton should be placed in the burner, with the black side facing up, to prevent fire hazards.
Next, light the tip of the coil with a lighter or match, and let it burn for 3-5 seconds until it begins to glow or emit smoke. You can also use the inner blue part of the flame and then blow it out with your breath. If the flame lingers, gently blow on the coil, and then place it in the holder.
Finally, place the lit coil incense into the holder, ensuring it does not touch the walls of the burner, as this can cause uneven burning or extinguish the incense. Make sure the incense is secure, and place the burner in a well-ventilated area.
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Frequently asked questions
Coil incense is similar to stick incense but formed into a spiral shape. It is placed in a wide, flat bowl bigger than the coil to prevent accidental fires.
You will need a binder, such as Makko, which is a natural tree bark from an evergreen tree that contains no synthetic chemicals, charcoal, or salt peter. You will also need a porcelain mortar and pestle, and a heatproof container. Finally, you will need your choice of aromatic plants, resins, and woods.
First, measure and mix your chosen ingredients, then put them through a sieve to remove impurities and sift for uniformity. Next, add water to form a uniform paste called "Tama" and knead thoroughly. Form the incense into coils and let them dry slowly.
Place the coil incense in an appropriate burner with a wide, flat bowl. Some of these holders will have clips that attach to the center of the coil and hold it above the bowl. Light the outside end of the coil with a lighter or match, then gently blow out the flame, leaving a smoldering ember. The coil will burn around to the center, leaving ash behind.
