As well as lending itself to burning, drinking and eating, frankincense can be chewed. In Oman the amber tears shed by the aromatic resin take on every form, from intangible to concrete. Al Hojari can be chewed like gum or delicately infused in a bottle of water to be sipped throughout the day. At the Salalah Al Baleed Resort, olibanum is delightfully enriched with gin and rose water. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As for food lovers, they are far from blind to its charms. At the Al Angham Restaurant, Baban and Fort Cafe in Muscat, the dessert menu features ice cream flavoured with Omani frankincense resin alongside profiteroles, caramelised bananas and chocolate sauce. A little further out, on the corniche that borders the capital, the Bait al Luban restaurant, an enthusiastic supporter of local farming and fishing, offers a dinner based entirely on frankincense, to be enjoyed sitting on traditional Omani cushions on the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the village of Bahla, a few kilometers from Nizwa, Sa\u00efd Al Adawi created his first piece when he was only ten. His father liked the incense burner so much it encouraged Sa\u00efd to keep going. Today the Adawi brothers\u2019 plant produces over 2,000 incense holders a year. The pieces are among the most celebrated in the country. We talk to him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n