Perhaps a common misconception is that agarwood can refer to any type of wood or tree that emits a fragrance. In fact, agarwood is from Aquilaria specie which belongs to the Thymelaeaceae family of flowering plants. It contains solid condensate that consists of resin and xylon. In other words, agarwood is a kind of wood which contains resin; it is the resin that diffuses the pleasant smell. "The main point is not about the wood but the resin, wood is just a carrier. Agarwood without resin is worthless, that explains the reason why people usually say that agarwood should contain resin," Hui affirms to the audience.

Chemicals and controls on artificial agarwood

The high demand of agarwood in China has led to a depletion of the wild resource. Though people generally prefer the natural agarwood over the artificial due to the rarity and value of natural agarwood, producing high quality artificial agarwood seems to be the only option satisfying the needs of the market. "With the help of modern biochemical and microscopic botany studies, researchers can find out ways to improve the odor of different kinds of agarwood, the composition of odor as well as the possibility of improving growth of artificial agarwood," said Hui.

Agarwood is formed as a result of infection caused by a type of mold. In order to response to the attack, the tree produces resin in order to heal and prevent itself from being attacked again. The general public has started recognizing the function of mold in the infection process. Agarwood is the product of complex reactions caused by numerous molds living in the root of the agarwood tree. This kind of knowledge, gained from research and study, facilitates the cultivation of artificial agarwood as well as the use and analysis of different kinds of molds applied to the process of artificially creating high quality agarwood.

Even twenty years ago, China had neither the market interest (due to the economic status of the majority of its population), nor the financial resources to spend on scientific study focusing on the creation of artificial agarwood. But today's China tells a different story, and owners of plantations nowadays work together with professors and research institutions to learn to improve the conditions for cultivating more high quality artificial. The results may yet to be perfect, but they are continuous steps towards improvement.