Drying: The Fifth Step in the Journey of Oud
Share
After the resin-bearing veins were uncovered by removing the white wood, comes the fifth step that safeguards what was uncovered: drying. For the fresh piece carries a moisture that may spoil it or weaken its scent if left, and correct drying fixes the scent compounds and preserves the piece longer. In this article we address drying as the step that turns the clean piece into a stable oud ready for sorting.
What is the role of drying in the journey of oud?
Drying is not merely the removal of water, but a step that safeguards the worth of the piece. For the piece coming out of processing carries an internal moisture, and were it left damp for a long period it would be exposed to mold, spoilage, or a weakening of the scent. So the oud is dried so that it stabilizes, keeps its aromatic character, and becomes safe for the storage and long transport that awaits it.
And in this sense, drying is a link that protects all that preceded it: the finding, the extraction, the cleaning, and the removal of the white. For what is the use of uncovering the essence if it is not preserved? Drying is what ensures that this essence reaches you as it was uncovered.
How is drying done?
Good drying rests on patience, not haste. For the pieces are left to lose their moisture gradually in a well-ventilated place, away from the high direct heat that may cause them to lose part of their aromatic compounds. And slow, balanced drying is gentler on the piece than fast, harsh drying, because it preserves the scent instead of dissipating it.
Fast drying with high heat may seem to save more time, but it may cause the piece to lose part of its fragrance. So patient, balanced drying is preferred, because it preserves the aromatic compounds that are the essence of oud's worth.
The effect of drying on scent and preservation
Drying has two main effects: the first is on the scent, for it fixes the aromatic compounds and makes the piece's character clearer and more stable; and the second is on preservation, for it protects the piece from the factors that spoil it and makes it more lasting with the passing of time. For the well-dried piece keeps its worth on its long journey from the preparation center to your majlis.
And so drying is a step that preserves the investment in all that preceded it. For a piece found with difficulty, extracted with care, and cleaned with precision may lose its worth if its drying is neglected. Drying is the last guarantee before the piece enters the evaluation stage.
From drying to sorting
When the piece stabilizes after drying, the initial preparation stage is complete: a clean piece, free of white, dried, with a stable scent. And thus it becomes ready to move from the processing stage to the evaluation stage, which begins with sorting.
And thus drying has closed the first three links of preparation (cleaning, then removal of the white, then drying), and paved the way for the links of evaluation. And in the following axis of this journey we move to the sixth step: sorting.
With drying the stage of turning the raw piece into a stable oud ends, and a new stage begins: evaluating the piece and grading it. For what comes after drying concerns determining the piece's worth, not changing its condition.
Every piece was dried to preserve its scent until it reaches you. At Oud Treasure we bring oud directly from its sources in the islands of Indonesia. Begin with a sample by which you test the scent, the origin, and the grade.
Browse natural oudRequest a sampleThis article is the fifth axis of the journey of oud from the Indonesian forest to the Gulf customer's majlis, and it is preceded by removing the white wood.
And for preserving oud after it arrives, see later the axis of storing the oud within this journey, and to understand the whole journey of oud return to the full journey guide.
