One of the most treasured botanicals in the world of incense, sweet-scented Sandalwood produces beautifully fragrant smoke that evokes a calm and meditative atmosphere. The powdered wood is delightfully easy to work with for rolling incense cones by hand, and you can find all of the ingredients below (including Hawaiian Sandalwood) in our Botanical Incense Kit.
Various species of the Santalum genus exist around the world, including the coveted Mysore or Santalum album primarily from India, and Santalum spicatum in Australia. Here in the Hawaiian Islands, there are at least Santalum species considered to be endemic ~ meaning they evolved distinctly in this isolated ecosystem and nowhere else. Sandalwood is called ‘Iliahi in Hawaiian.
Post-contact, the Hawaiian Sandalwood forests were heavily harvested to be exported primarily to China for the making of incense and fine furniture. This caused a decimation of the native forests before the trade eventually collapsed. Thanks to reforestation efforts in the past century, there is now active cultivation of endemic Sandalwood (primarily Santalum paniculatum) and responsible harvesting of the wood to make Hawaiian Sandalwood essential oil, hydrosol and powder (also called 'dust').
SANDALWOOD INCENSE CONES RECIPE
The following recipe will produce about 8 cones. I encourage you to just start with this amount if you've never made incense, so you can get a feel for the process before increasing the batch size. Crafting the cones can be deeply meditative, so I invite you to take your time and enjoy it!
If you don't have have our Incense Kit or access to Hawaiian Sandalwood powder, any kind of fine Sandalwood powder works for the dough.
Makko powder is a key ingredient in this recipe, produced from the tabu-no-ki tree (Machilus thunbergii) native to Japan. The powdered bark is rich in mucilage, or complex sugars that become sticky and viscous in water and functions as a binder to hold everything together. While there are other natural binders you can use in incense, I find that the mild woody scent of Makko pairs very well with Sandalwood.
You will also need distilled water or hydrosol to make the dough. Hydrosols are fragrant waters distilled from plants, and will impart a mild aroma into the finished cones. Sandalwood or Rose hydrosols are lovely choices; our Incense Kit comes with your choice of locally distilled Patchouli or Lemongrass hydrosols for a more unique scent.
Be sure to record your formulation in a notebook: write down the date, each ingredient & amount used, total yield, and any other relevant notes as you go.
INGREDIENTS
- Sandalwood powder – 2 tbsp.
- Makko powder – 1 tbsp.
- Hydrosol – about 1 tbsp. (may need slightly more or less)
EQUIPMENT
- Tablespoon for measuring
- Small mixing bowl
- Mixing spoon
- Plate with relatively flat surface
- Dime to help with shaping
- Dishtowel for wiping hands & spills
- Notebook & pen
INCENSE RECIPE
- Wash & dry your hands. Clean a flat surface for your workspace and dry completely.
- Add Sandalwood & Makko powders to your bowl and mix with a spoon.
- Measure 1 tablespoon of hydrosol, and slowly pour about 3/4 of it into the bowl (so a bit is reserved).
- Use your fingers to incorporate the hydrosol into the dry ingredients; it will be sticky at first, but scoop up & mix in all the little bits of powder to blend.
- Add the remaining hydrosol only if needed: when the dough has enough liquid, it will feel like play dough, be moldable, and not stick to your fingers.
- If the dough is still too dry, add a few drops of hydrosol at a time; if it becomes two wet, add a tiny pinch of Makko powder for desired consistency.
- Once your dough is pliable enough to work with, divide it up into 8 pieces that are about a 1/2 teaspoon each. Distributed any left over evenly.
- One at a time, use your plate to roll each piece into a ball, then mold the dough with your fingers to create a cone shape. Push down on the plate to make a flat base, and pinch the other end to form a tip.
- Use the clean dime as a guide for the maximum base width of the cones so they can easily fit in your tin.
- Keep shaping until you have roughly the form you want. Hand rolling incense is truly a lesson in imperfection: they won’t be perfectly symmetrical, so when you have a decent cone, allow it to be done!
- Space out your finished cones upright on the plate and let it sit in a cool, dry area with good airflow for 1-2+ days. When the sides have dried, tip them over and allow the bottoms to dry out for 1-2+ more days.
- Once they're dried throughout (uniform in color) and hard to the touch, you can store them in a tin or jar. Keep finished cones in a cool dry place for up to 2 years.
To burn your incense, place on a heat safe dish (or agate slice for a fun vessel), light the tip, and allow the swirling smoke to envelop your space. Smother to finish. Each cone will burn for about 15 - 25 minutes ~ light one whenever you're seeking the grounding aroma that Sandalwood smoke provides.
