Definition
Cambodian oud, or Khmer oud, is the agarwood oil distilled from Aquilaria crassna harvested in Cambodia. The species also grows in Vietnam, Laos and Thailand, but the Cambodian terroir yields a recognizable profile historically associated with the reference oud of Arab perfumery.
Olfactive profile
The Cambodian profile is sweeter, more honeyed and floral-balsamic than Indian oud, which comes from Aquilaria malaccensis and reads as leather, smoke and animalic. The sweetness comes from 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones, which carry a dried fruit and honey facet (source: Jannah Ouds).
Against Vietnamese oud it reads less green and more resinous; against Malaysian and Indonesian, less smoky and less medicinal (source: Fragrantica). Houses that work it neat include Ensar Oud, Areej Le Doré, Henry Jacques, and at times Amouage and Roja Dove.
Production and CITES
The wood is still wild-harvested, but the supply chain is shifting toward plantation growing with controlled inoculation of the fungus that triggers resin formation, especially along the Vietnam-Cambodia border since the 2000s.
A. malaccensis was listed on CITES Appendix II in February 1995; the other Aquilaria species, including A. crassna, were added in 2005 (source: CITES CoP13). Every international shipment now requires a CITES permit. Premium grades trade at 50 to 200 euros per gram.
Sources
- Fragrantica, OUD SERIES, The Smell of Oud by Terroir (accessed 4 June 2026)
- Jannah Ouds, Unveiling Cambodian Oud, Fragrance and Origins (accessed 4 June 2026)
- CITES, Thirteenth Conference of the Parties, 2004, listing of Aquilaria spp. (accessed 4 June 2026)
- TRAFFIC, Heart of the Matter, Agarwood Use and Trade (accessed 4 June 2026)
- Ensar Oud, Cambodian Aquilaria crassna range (accessed 4 June 2026)