Money Matrix Nag Champa: sweet incense with musk and amber
Money Matrix comes from the Nag Champa range by Satya, the brand of Shrinivas Sugandhalaya in Mumbai. Retailers tend to describe the scent as musk and amber lifted by a fruity sweetness, all of it carried on the creamy masala base Satya is known for. This is not a woody or resinous incense, then, but a soft and sweet one that spreads gently through a room. The name points to prosperity, the theme this variety was built around, though plenty of people simply light a stick as a background scent while working, writing or sitting quietly.
The sticks are rolled by hand in India. A paste of natural herbs and flower extract is worked around a thin bamboo stick and then left to dry slowly. Because every stick is shaped by hand, thickness varies a little from one to the next. That is not a flaw, it is simply how masala incense is made. A box contains 15 grams, which comes to roughly 12 to 15 sticks. One stick burns for about 30 to 45 minutes and the scent lingers well after the ash has dropped.
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, keep burning sticks away from children and pets, and never leave one unattended. Store the box closed and dry, since the sticks give off their aroma even unlit.
About Satya
Shrinivas Sugandhalaya has been making incense since 1964 and became known worldwide through Nag Champa, which for many people is simply what incense smells like. Alongside Money Matrix, Avalon Magic Plants stocks more scents from that line, among them Dragon's Blood and Californian White Sage, plus Satya classics such as Aastha, Jasmine and Palo Santo.
