Boswellia frereana
Encyclopedia
Boswellia frereana is native to northern Somalia
where the locals call it "Maydi" (other spellings include: Meydi, Meyti, Maidi, Maieti, and Mayeti) or the king of all frankincense. It is also known as the Yigaar (or Yegaar) tree and by the common name for all frankincense, Luban. It is reported to be cultivated in Yemen
, but this could be based on an 1870 record by Dr. G. Birdwood citing that B. frereana was seen in Sir Robert Playfair's garden in Aden (Yemen). Playfair had brought B. frereana from Somalia and cultivated it in his garden in Aden. Although rumored to also grow in Oman, scientific and botanical evidence does not confirm that B. frereana either grows or is cultivated there. B. frereana resin, however, is very rarely found in Omani markets in the larger cities as a less expensive and more palatable chewing resin compared to the native Omani frankincense, B. sacra, which is known more for its medicinal and aromatic properties.
In the West B. frereana is called "Copt
ic Frankincense" as this is the type and grade used by the Coptic Church of Egypt
. 80% of B. frereana production is sold to Saudi Arabia
where it is traditionally brought home by Muslim
pilgrims. The remaining 20% is sold all around the world.
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
where the locals call it "Maydi" (other spellings include: Meydi, Meyti, Maidi, Maieti, and Mayeti) or the king of all frankincense. It is also known as the Yigaar (or Yegaar) tree and by the common name for all frankincense, Luban. It is reported to be cultivated in Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
, but this could be based on an 1870 record by Dr. G. Birdwood citing that B. frereana was seen in Sir Robert Playfair's garden in Aden (Yemen). Playfair had brought B. frereana from Somalia and cultivated it in his garden in Aden. Although rumored to also grow in Oman, scientific and botanical evidence does not confirm that B. frereana either grows or is cultivated there. B. frereana resin, however, is very rarely found in Omani markets in the larger cities as a less expensive and more palatable chewing resin compared to the native Omani frankincense, B. sacra, which is known more for its medicinal and aromatic properties.
In the West B. frereana is called "Copt
Copt
The Copts are the native Egyptian Christians , a major ethnoreligious group in Egypt....
ic Frankincense" as this is the type and grade used by the Coptic Church of Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. 80% of B. frereana production is sold to Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
where it is traditionally brought home by Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
pilgrims. The remaining 20% is sold all around the world.