| Latin Name : | Boswellia serrata |
| English Name : | Indian Frankincense, Boswellia, Salai |
| French Name : | Oliban indien, encens indien, boswellie, boswellia |
| Family : | Burseraceae |
| Origin : | India, Somalia |
History and Origin
Boswellia serrata is a tree found in mountainous parts of Asia that can grow up to 10 meters in height. There are different types of Boswellia. The botanical genus Boswellia carterii can be found in Ethiopia, Yemen and Somalia and the genus Boswellia serrata in India. Boswellia serrata is different from the other species by its geographic location, but also by its chemical composition. To collect the resin, the bark is slashed to let out numerous drops of resin, which harden as generous yellow and smelly nuggets. Frankincense have been used in traditional Indian, Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years. With gold and myrrh, frankincense was one of the present offered to baby Jesus by the Three Kings. Renowned for its capacity to help inducing a meditative state, it has long been used in religious ceremonies. Frankincense is viewed as a communication link between human beings and gods.