Genuine Incense from Mount Athos
The incense burned in Orthodox churches is mainly scented resin. The most famous of these are those produced by hand on Mount Athos in Greece. The monks of certain monasteries produce these fragrant incenses from frankincense resin.
The resin usually used is Boswellia papyrifera, which comes from Ethiopia, Eritrea or Sudan. The resin is crushed, the fragrance added, and in some cases a colouring agent as well, and the whole thing is left to dry before being cut into small pieces. These pieces are often covered with talcum powder.
Mount Athos is actually located on a peninsula in northern Greece, a few kilometres from Thessaloniki (note that this peninsula is off-limits to women). Only certain monasteries (Bulgarian, Serbian, etc.) produce these special incenses, which are burnt on charcoal tablets like most other incenses and natural resins.
Sold in sachets of 30g net.
