Incense Ingredient Quiz

Do you know your lavender from your labdanum? Test your knowledge on a range of whole-plant incense ingredients.

A very serene photo of a burning cone of incense.


By Nathan Upchurch

1. Which of these ingredients is associated with hippies?

2. This ingredient is known for its peachy fragrance.

3. Which of these is a type of frankincense?

4. Which is a type of myrrh?

5. Your incense sticks are having trouble burning. Which of these ingredients might you add to fix the problem?

6. Your incense sticks are having trouble burning. Which of these ingredients is a likely culprit?

7. Which of these food items is not commonly used in incense?

8. Which incense ingredient is not mentioned in the Song of Solomon?

9. This ingredient comes from the island of Chios, Greece.

10. This ingredient can sometimes be harvested by combing the beards of goats.

11. This ingredient is banned for use in food in the USA because of its high levels of coumarin.

12. Which resin is typically the squishiest?

13. This wood needs to lay dead for a few years before it develops its characteristic fragrance.

14. This wood develops its fragrance when attacked by insects or fungus.

15. Which of these gums is the weakest binder?

16. Which of these is not the name of a binder?

17. Which of these animal parts or secretions is not likely to be found in an incense formula?

18. Which is not endangered?

19. This ingredient is associated with a cluster of love poems by Walt Whitman.

20. Which ingredient is not a root?

What happened buddy?

Damn, this didn’t go so well, did it? I’m sure with some time and effort you’ll do better!

An animated GIF of Homer Simpson being hit by a thurible. The caption reads: Perfumed by some unseen censer, Doh! Stupid censer.
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You’ve got a lot to learn!

You got a handful right, but it’s time to hit the books!

An animated GIF of Spongebob Squarepants reading a checklist of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy merchandise items as the camera pans across a room containing them. The items are: thermometer, ukulele, throw pillow, screensaver, incense, snail cozy, headgear.
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Not too bad.

You’ve got a way to go, but there's no doubt you know a thing or two about incense!

An animated GIF of a chunk of frankincense smoking on top of a charcoal disk.
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You’ve got a mind for incense!

You got over half of the questions right. This is some obscure knowledge—I hope you’re proud of yourself!

An animated GIF of Principal Skinner dressed as one of the biblical three kings offering frankincense.
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You’re good at this!

You really know your incense ingredients! Well done!

An animated GIF of a women with strings of jewels around her head blowing out the flame of a stick of incense.
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Perfect score!

Either you checked the source code, or you really know your stuff! Congratulations!

An animated GIF of smoke rising from a stick of incense.
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