When I was a kid, what I knew about benzoin was to summon or repel devils or to hold a ritual tradition or communication and also for ritual events. Just to be smeared on cigarettes. As some kind of air freshener, burnt. BENZOIN A Worldwide-Scale Spice This pebble or lump-shape object is benzoin, also known as bukhur. Its fragrance invites people to utilize it. However, for people in general, benzoin is merely known as aromatherapy; assumed as a spiritual or mystical means; in addition to functioning as a means of rituals of worship and custom. It’s not wrong. But, have they covered all the functions and roles of benzoin? When talking about spices, it’s not always limited to nutmeg, pepper, clove, and cinnamon. It’s also about various raw materials of cooking, medicines, cosmetics, and other dry things with strong scents. As a kind of spice, benzoin has been familiar to people in the world as the most-wanted commodity since 5000 years ago. Benzoin is a candle-shaped resin that produces fragrance. This Indonesia’s endemic tree comes from a tree with Styrax genus, different from the ones in other countries like Yaman, India, and Africa that come from a plant called Boswellia. Aside from its crystal that functions as the raw material for incense and foods, its oil serves as the raw material for medicines, cosmetics, and perfumes. Benzoin trees grow fertile in a humid climate along with other supporting plants in Sumatra, Java, Bali, and Kalimantan forests. Four varieties of benzoin have economical value, Toba Benzoin (Sumatrana), Durame Benzoin, Bulu Benzoin, and Siam Benzoin. Aswandi from the Environment and Forestry Research and Development Institute of Aek Nauli (Tapanuli, around the ancient mount Toba and Mount Sinabung) thinks that North Sumatra is the biggest producer of benzoin in Indonesia, with the number 1 quality and the richest contents, for it has 30-40 compounds. Compared to the benzoin in other countries, our benzoin has stronger resin with its strong signature aroma, especially Toba benzoin. Aside from its aroma, benzoin also contains antibacterial, antidepressant, both for respiration, agelessness, skin medication, and others, and cineol as an antivirus. That’s why people look for benzoin. The high-quality benzoin is the one coming from around Lake Toba. Benzoin around Lake Toba is the signature variety that grows around the areas of the ancient Lake Toba explosion. A lot of people want to know how benzoin is harvested. eight, yes, we can harvest the ones that are around eight years old. A Benzoin tree which is old enough and flowered, then scratched so that the sap comes out. The candle-like sap is then tapped by the farmers, and then they sell it to the collectors. There are two types of plants, Durame and Toba Benzoin. There are three types of Toba Benzoin, White, Yellow, and Black Benzoins. These three benzoins come from the same tree, but they produce different saps every 3 months. The first one is white, the second one is yellow, and the third one is black. They come from one tree. So, the best variant is white, followed by yellow, and then black. The collectors or often called “Tokek'', sort the benzoins and sell them at different prices, depending on the quality and the market demand. Through the second hand or online marketplace platform, benzoins are delivered to Medan, Java, and Bali that need bigger stocks of benzoin. Aside from fulfilling domestic demand, Toba Benzoin is also exported to India, China, France, and other countries. We have been involved in export, but not as the main actor. On average, the ones to export are in the second levels, for instance, Tahir. We export Tahir to India. Recently, in these 10 years, the exports have decreased, and for now, the quantity keeps shrinking. Unfortunately, the decrease of benzoin quantity both in Tapanuli and other regions stop making benzoin a great commodity like it used to be, although the demand is still high. Today, a lot of benzoin farmers switch their job to be coffee, fruits, or vegetable farmers. In several cases, the benzoin habitat forests are unilaterally converted to be palm plantations and other plantations that they think would be more profitable. When we retrace the trace of Nusantara Spice Routes where benzoin becomes a part of it, we begin to realize: whether the glorious era of benzoin will come back? As a tropical country, Indonesia is very rich in biodiversity. Nusantara spices once became the diva, hunted by traders from faraway lands. Before Europe came to hunt the spices, and it was ended by the monopoly of the Dutch’s VOC, Nusantara had traded spices and other crops for thousands of years ago with the Indians, Arabs, Africans, and Chinese. Benzoin from Sumatra was one of the commodities that were in demand. The well-known areas that many had mentioned in the historical records of the world books were Fansur and Balus. The areas were located around Barus, the west part of North Sumatra. Many pieces of literature stated that this port was crowded by the Tamil, Gujarati, Egyptian, Arab, and European traders. They came to find camphor, benzoin, banana, coconut, cane, rice, and even gold. Besides the foreign traders, traders from other kingdoms of Nusantara also came to Fansur, including Aceh, Majapahit, Demak, Bengkulu, Palembang, etc. Benzoin trades were mentioned in the ancient sources of the Middle East, the most outstanding one was at a seaport called Fansur. Where is Fansur? It’s located on the west coast or north of Aceh, still up for debate. But Barus was a port that emerged in the 13th or 12th century. The sources of the Middle East had mentioned Fansur long before Barus emerged as a town. That’s why the experts try to look for where exactly Fansur is, the place that was mentioned in the sources of the Middle East. In 1873, Lobu Tua inscription in the Tamil language, year 1088 AD, was found. The inscription tells about the existence of a trade union of Tamil tribes in the Barus area. Recently, the traces of Umayyah coins and Abbasiyah in the 7th century AD or the first Hijri were found on the West Coast of Sumatra and it’s still a part of the North Sumatra Province, approximately 65km in the west of Barus. So, 65km from Barus, there is a sub-district named Badiri, there is an ancient trace related to trade and the use of Pandya currency from India, or Umayyah coins and Abbasiyah and Chinese coins from the 8th century. The finding of the coins is estimated to have a link to the ancient spice trades on the West Coast, North Sumatra. A pic of a spoon: The spoon was used to scoop out benzoin. Why is it long? So that the hands are not exposed to fire or the heat of coals. The spoons were found in a great number on the west coast. So, it’s related to the ancient rituals using the benzoin. The spice trades with resin commodities, such as benzoin and camphor weren’t only traded to the foreign traders but also the traders of Srivijaya and Majapahit through the maritime routes. The Javanese greatest and most sophisticated ship at that time was known as Jung Jawa, a fast ship that could load up to 10.000 cargo and had set sail before the 3rd century, carrying spices and other crops. This ship sailed to China, Africa, and Arabic Peninsula. In a Portuguese’s note, Tome Pires, in 1511, he witnessed Fansur that was visited by two to three ships from Gujarat every year to take benzoin, camphor, gold, and silk. Meanwhile, other kingdoms that sold benzoin and camphor were Pasai Kingdom, Aru Kingdom, the Country of Palembang, Singkel Kingdom, Bata Kingdom, and the Meulaboh Kingdom. In the trading world, the price of camphor and benzoin in Fansur was equal to pure gold that in the beginning was done by barter. The trades of benzoin and other spices were also done through Malacca that was located in a strategic location and rich in biodiversity. During that time, the port in Malacca Strait was crowded with people from India and China, followed by Europe afterward, so it led to the emergence of significant seaports, including Pasai, Malacca, and Kotta Cinna in which the site is located in the North Medan, North Sumatra. what we collected in the highland, including in the site of Kotta Cina. Various kinds of resins, including benzoin that hasn’t been identified, about the goods found in the depth of 1.5 m. So, before benzoin was processed like this...the wood appeared, hadn’t been processed, and then sorted, separated, and sold to several different class categories. In a report, a Dutch AV Michiels noted that in 1820-1829, he exported 278.000 pounds of benzoins in 318.938 guilders. That is an essential commodity of Indonesia. We seem to have forgotten that the wonderful spice only exists in Indonesia. Thus, the Ministry of Education and Culture prioritizes Spice Routes as the main program for the next 4 years. The fragrance of Indonesian benzoin, especially from Tapanuli, North Sumatra has indeed shocked the world for thousands of years because of its extraordinary benefits. In Indonesia, benzoin is often considered negative, as a complement to offerings of cultural custom rituals. However, without realizing it, our ancestors taught us not only the way to communicate with nature but also to utilize the content of benzoin that is good for the body. Benzoin is often used in many traditional arts. One example is the Cirebonese Mask Dance. Benzoin and incense are used in every ritual to start performances. Many art performers don’t get the meaning, for they only follow traditions. However, referring to the contents of incense, it may be used as aromatherapy so that the dancers and musicians can go deep into the characters and make a nice atmosphere. Some dancers also fumigate the mask using benzoin, it functions to kill bacteria before it is worn. In the culinary world, many people like Balinese cuisine, like Betutu Gianyar. This is a delicious food, and it is rich in spices; benzoin is one of them, and it will give a warm sensation to the food. Aside from the resin, the smoke of benzoin also functions not only as a raw material of certain products but also as a means of communication. People can gather by dint of the benzoin at that time. The point was to gather people. When people smelled it, “Whoa what happens, what’s the event? Let’s gather…” Many people know Trunyan village, Bali because of its tradition of putting corpses under the benzoin trees. Even though the corpse will eventually rot and dry, they don’t exude a foul smell. It proves that the antibacterial of benzoin doesn’t only exist in the resin but also in the stems, roots, and leaves. If we look back at the Egyptian Firaun era, they didn’t only use Barus camphor but also Sumatra benzoin to worship God and in mummification. At the end of the mummification process, incense was used to fumigate the mummy and the room to purify the air from bacteria. That’s why mummy can last for centuries. Today, people in our society know bukhur. Incense coming from local or Arab benzoin. The incense is widely used in recitation or major Islamic events. Besides, bukhur is also used in Mecca as aromatherapy. Aside from exuding fragrance, it also functions to relax the brain but the increasing concentration in worshiping. Centuries ago, the benzoin trade in Arab was known as Luban Jawi with a price equal to pure gold. Luban Jawi means Javanese Benzoin even though it was originally from the land of Tapanuli. In the 10th century, an Arab physician Ibnu Sina used Luban Jawi to heal skin disease, dysentery, tumor, and diarrhea, even as the best raw material for dental fillings. In the Christian tradition and it is also mentioned in the bible, benzoin was one of the plants or commodities that was offered to Jesus by the Magi when he was born. Who were the magi, it’s still up for debate. For instance, whether they were Persians. But the existence of benzoin as an offering when Jesus was born shows that benzoin had been known long before the AD in the Middle East. Benzoin oil has been used for a long time in the perfume industry. Baccarat Les Larmes Sacrees de Thebes is an example. The price is 6.800 US dollars or equal to 96 million rupiahs. However, Indonesia is capable of making perfume of international standard from benzoin, through the research of Cut Rizlan and Aswandi from the Environment and Forestry Research and Development Institute of Aek Nauli, North Sumatra; the perfume is called Tobariaum, but it’s still in limited stock. Today, benzoin in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries is commonly found on the market, for it possesses extraordinary benefits. Probably, we even use that in our daily lives, for instance as acne medication, skin rejuvenation, etc. There are a lot of benefits in many aspects of the benzoin that we don’t realize in our lives, for it uses other names, like bukhur. Benzoin is even often set aside, for it assumes to be outdated and violates certain religious rules. Indonesian spices have filled the veins of the world’s civilization from time to time through world trade. The Spice Routes. The most important one is how spices and their routes can be used by society. For that, we need a movement that includes people, regional governments, and central government. We do it together. We can use the Spice Routes to strengthen the character building, increase economy, and cultural diplomacy.