[Sca-cooks] OT: sandalwood, oppopanax & amber (was suppliers)

[Huette von Ahrens]

Have you looked lately, Samrah, dear?

I found these sites, who say they sell Opopanax, without too much effort.

http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/candle/candle.php
http://mayaherbs.com/product_info.phtml/herbid_237/category_incenses
http://www.naturensdroger.se/enter.html?target=p_709.html&lang=sv

I could have listed several more, but their sites are not in English.

Huette

--- Samrah <auntie_samrah at yahoo.com> wrote:

> If I remember your original post correctly, you were looking into pharmaceuticals, not perfumery
> (which if memory serves was not a separate discipline until 1700).  In that case, you would be
> dealing with the chemical constituancies of the herbs, rather than just the fragrance.  
>  
> Opopanax is a very heavy smelling dark resin, stronger than amber.  It can be found on line,
> sold by the gram, not the ounce, but I have lost my bookmarks.  I was unable to find it for
> about 9 years.  There really doesn't seem to be a fragrance substitute.
>  
> Any more, amber tends to be a perfumers' blend of many resins and possibly even chemical
> substances.  Most contain benzion and styrax (which has a sort of  terpentiny fragrance) and
> labdanum.  As the original amber trees that produce amber beads are now extinct, it is indeed
> possible, if not probable, that the period recipes could be referring to resin from these
> extinct trees.
>  
> Beware!  There are 3 entirely botanically different plants that are referred to as "sandalwood".
>  Technically what you want for apothecary work is East Indian sandalwood, aka white or yellow
> sandalwood, aka santalum album, and yes, it is the endangered stuff.  Current wholesale here for
> 1/2 oz. $40 US (from a reasonable supplier).  
>  
> If you are doing perfumery work, you can use amyris, aka West Indian sandalwood, aka amyris
> balsamifera.  It is not botanically related to the endangered sandalwood, nor does it have the
> same chemical constituants.  If you get a good grade for perfumery work, it will smell the same
> to the average nose.  An inferior grade will have a smokey smell, like some sandalwood incenses
> often purchased at swap meets.  By contrast, it runs about $6 per 1/2 oz. (good quality oil,
> wholesale price).  
>  
> There is also a red sandalwood powder, aka pterocarpus santalinus, known in period as "Saunders
> powder" used as a colourant to make foods red, particulary in poaching pears.  I do not know its
> chemical constituants, but it is not botanically related to the other two, and is a very poor
> choice for any type of fragrance work.
>  
> Hope this helps.
>  
> Samrah
>  
>  
> 
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