Frankincense

I remember as a kid hearing in church about the Three Wise Men who came to Bethlehem bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh for Baby Jesus – but I really had no idea what frankincense and myrrh were, other than something very precious. In Arabic, frankincense is called luban, which is natural gum. Frankincense is the hardened resin (crystallized tree sap) that comes from a small tree native to the east coast of Africa and the southern coast of the Arabian peninsula. It has many uses, like as incense, gum, or for medicinal purposes. Available in abundance in the old souks of Jeddah, frankincense can be broken off into smaller pieces and chewed. At first it’s a little crunchy, but then it eventually softens up and feels somewhat like the familiar gum that we are all used to chewing nowadays. There is not much flavor to it, although some find it pleasant. I guess I’m more used to the sweetened or minty flavors of modern gum…