Nearly 2,000 years ago, merchants were already carrying fragrant sandalwood from India toward the ports of Arabia and Persia. The first-century trading manual The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea specifically lists sandalwood among the valuable goods exported from India, alongside other exotic woods, spices, and aromatics.
Our Silk Road Sandalwood recipe takes inspiration from that ancient world of merchants, caravans, and spice markets. Warm sandalwood forms the heart of the blend, joined by earthy patchouli and bright orange to evoke the fragrant plants and citrus traded across Asia and the Mediterranean. Soft vanilla adds a later New World note, making this a modern interpretation of the scents that once traveled between distant cultures.
Primary source: The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, c. 1st century CE, section 36.
Nearly 2,000 years ago, merchants were already carrying fragrant sandalwood from India toward the ports of Arabia and Persia. The first-century trading manual The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea specifically lists sandalwood among the valuable goods exported from India, alongside other exotic woods, spices, and aromatics.
Our Silk Road Sandalwood recipe takes inspiration from that ancient world of merchants, caravans, and spice markets. Warm sandalwood forms the heart of the blend, joined by earthy patchouli and bright orange to evoke the fragrant plants and citrus traded across Asia and the Mediterranean. Soft vanilla adds a later New World note, making this a modern interpretation of the scents that once traveled between distant cultures.
Primary source: The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, c. 1st century CE, section 36.
