Californian white Sage - Nag Champa | 15 g sticks

Nag Champa with Californian white sage

For a lot of people Nag Champa simply is the smell of incense: sweet, resinous and faintly creamy. That base comes out of India, where a paste of resin, wood powder and herbs is rolled around a thin bamboo stick by hand. This version adds Californian white sage, the herb North American traditions dry into bundles and burn to freshen a room. The combination lands somewhere lighter than straight Nag Champa, with a green, herbal top note sitting on the familiar sweet foundation.

Each box contains 15 grams, roughly 12 to 15 sticks. A stick burns for about 30 to 45 minutes and the scent hangs around well after the ash has dropped. Because every stick is rolled by hand, thickness varies a little from one to the next. That is part of the process and says nothing about quality. Store the box somewhere dry and closed and the scent keeps far longer, since the sticks slowly give off their aroma even before you light them.

Burning the sticks

Light the tip, let the flame catch for a few seconds, then blow it out so the stick glows and gives off a thin ribbon of smoke. Stand it in an incense holder or a small pot of sand, on a surface that can take falling ash. Keep the room lightly ventilated and never leave a burning stick unattended.

More incense at Avalon

Avalon Magic Plants stocks plenty of other scents alongside this box, from Satya classics such as Aastha and Palo Santo to loose white sage, Aztec incense and backflow cones with matching holders.