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Kneaded
Incense
Traditionally used
for the Japanese Tea Ceremony, this ancient form of incense is blended,
kneaded, and buried underground in earthenware jars, and left to mature
for three to five years. These incense "balls", made from
woods, spices, and herbs mixed with honey or plum meat, are characterized
by a sweet, creamy scent. They are not ignited by flame, but heated
using charcoal or a compact wood
chip heater.
Neriko is mentioned
in "The Tale of the Genji," and was widely used in early times for
perfuming the sleeves of Japanese nobles.
How to create fragrance
from Kneaded Incense
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BAIEIDO
NERIKO: Rich,
creamy scent. Comes packaged in bamboo.
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How to create fragrance
from Kneaded Incense
or wood chips
Method 1 - "Soradaki"
Soradaki means 'Appreciating Incense'. This method is typically used
to scent a small area, by heating the wood chips over charcoal.
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1. Ignite
the corner of a piece of charcoal by using a match or lighter.
Place the charcoal on top of the ash and wait until it becomes
grayish-white in color. |
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2. When half
of the charcoal has turned grayish-white, cover it with a thin
layer of ash.
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3. Place wood chip directly over the heated part of the ash. (It's
best to heat the wood chips over hot ash rather than burning them
directly on the charcoal). |
Please note:
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For best results, use wood chips that are approximately 1/4" wide,
or the size of a grain of rice.
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You should not reuse the ash for "Incense Ceremony" or "Mon-koh," as
the scent from the wood chips may remain in the ash and change the fragrance.
• You may enjoy joss stick incense, granulated incense and kneaded incense
by using this same method.
Method 2 - "Mon-koh"
Mon-koh means 'Listening to Incense'. This method involves using ceremonial
charcoal (Koh-tadon) and a mica plate to heat, rather than burn, the
incense.
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1.
Light the ceremonial charcoal completely by using a gas stove
or electric range until it becomes grayish-white.
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2. Using metal incense chopsticks, loosen the ash and place the
charcoal in the center. |
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3. Gently gather the ash around the charcoal and make a small mound
over it.
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4.Use the ash press to lightly pack the ash over the charcoal.
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5. Using the incense chopstick, make an air/heat hole.
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6. Place the mica plate over the air hole by using the silver tweezers.
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7. Place wood chips on the mica plate by using the incense chopsticks.
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8. Enjoy the fragrance! |
Please note:
• You may need to adjust the depth of the charcoal and the amount of ash
covering it for proper heating (to avoid burning the wood chips).
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For this method, use a matchstick size wood chip, approximately 1/8" square.
• For safety, keep the bowl in an upright position to assure the contents
do not shift.
• You may enjoy joss stick incense, granulated incense and kneaded incense
by using this same method.
• To extinguish the charcoal: Pick up the charcoal with the metal chopsticks,
and carefully drop it in
a bowl filled with water. Caution: After use, the ash and bowl become
very hot for an  extended
period of time. Do not put the used ash into a trash can until it has
completely  cooled down
to room temperature. Ash can be reused many times with this method.
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