The scents of a Moroccan house

Incense and oud, orange blossom water, amber, rose and fresh mint: what they are, how to use them, and how to do it safely in a flat.

Many people can name their grandmother's house by its smell. A few simple things bring that smell back: flower waters, wood, resins and mint.

In short

Incense on charcoal smokes strongly: a small piece is enough, with a window slightly open.
Charcoal stays hot for half an hour or more. The burner sits on a heatproof surface, away from children, curtains and pets.
Orange blossom water and rose water perfume a room, the linen and the hands without any smoke.
An electric burner gives the scent with almost no smoke: better in a small flat.

Bkhour: Chips of wood or pressed mixes soaked in perfume oils. Sweet and strong. Burnt for guests, on Fridays and for celebrations.
Oud: Agarwood. The real wood is rare and expensive and gives a deep, dry smoke. Most oud sold cheaply is perfumed wood.
Jawi: Benzoin resin, in white or dark lumps. A soft smoke that recalls vanilla.
Amber and musk blocks: Solid perfume in small cubes. No burning: rub one on the wrists, or leave a cube in a drawer, a wardrobe or a small dish.
Orange blossom water (ma zhar): Distilled from the flowers of the bitter orange tree. For pastries and coffee, and sprinkled on guests' hands from a mrach.
Rose water (ma ward): From the roses of the Dades valley and Kelaat M'Gouna. For the skin, the linen and the hammam.
Dried rose buds, lavender, verbena: In bowls, sachets and wardrobes.
Cedar and thuya wood: Their smell lasts for years and keeps moths away.

Use a burner (mbakhra) made of clay or metal, with a layer of sand or ash in the bottom.
Hold a charcoal disc with tongs, light the edge, and put it in the burner when sparks have run across it.
Wait about five minutes, until it is covered in grey ash.
Put on a piece of incense the size of a lentil. Add more later instead of a lot at once.
Carry the burner through the rooms, or leave it in the hall with a window slightly open.
When you have finished, leave the charcoal in the burner until it is fully cold, at least an hour, or drown it in water.

Smoke detectors react to incense. Burn it away from them and air the room; do not take the detector down.
Neighbours share the stairwell and the ventilation. A small piece and an open window keep the peace.
An electric incense burner heats the wood or resin without charcoal: less smoke and a steady scent.
With asthma, babies, birds or cats in the house: prefer flower waters and wood to smoke.
Scent the linen instead: a spoon of orange blossom water or rose water in the spray bottle used for ironing, or in the last rinse.

A mrach of orange blossom water by the door, for guests' hands.
A bunch of fresh mint in a glass on the kitchen table.
A bowl of dried rose buds in the hall; refresh it with a few drops of rose water.
Cedar blocks in the wardrobes and with the rugs.
Orange peel and a cinnamon stick simmering in water on a winter afternoon.

Flower waters: read the label. Real ones list distilled flower water and nothing else. Keep them in the fridge once open and use them within a few months.
Orange blossom water for cooking and the perfumed kind for the skin are not always the same product.
Incense keeps for years in a closed tin.
Travelling: flower waters count as liquids in hand luggage, and charcoal discs are generally forbidden on planes. Buy the charcoal where you live.