WHERE CAN WE FIND IT ?
The Bushman Candle is the story of a raw material used for thousands of years by the tribes of Southern Africa. But it is also the more recent story of a discovery for the world of perfumery, a little by chance and by our care, on the road that should lead us to Myrrh. It comes from small bushes of theSarcocaulon Mossamedensetype that thrive in the arid region of Kaokoland, in the northwest of Namibia.
WHAT DOES BUSHMAN CANDLE LOOK LIKE?
Bushman Candle is actually the result of a long process of transformation of a dead part of the Sarcocaulon. The soft twigs of the plant slowly decompose leaving behind a sweet and amber scented glowing wax in the form of a hollow bark or shell. The latter solidifies by the action of the sun and then falls to the foot of the shrub. It can then withstand the extreme heat of the region while retaining its exceptional fragrance or properties for years. It is precisely this solidified wax that is called Bushman Candle.
AND THE SARCOCAULON MOSSAMEDENSE?
The shrub does not spread very high but it is extremely dense. It tends to grow wide. Its branches are thick, somewhat puffy and filled with thorns that protect it from curious animals. Although impressive and unsightly, it creates very pretty flowers that can be seen during the mild seasons. They go from pale pink to orange yellow and are never very numerous. It is usually found in the middle of the Namibian desert on the rocky and acidic soil. One wonders how a plant can take life in this particularly inhospitable environment. It is also present on the Namibian coasts.
BUSHMAN CANDLE: A WILD AND DELICATE HARVEST
To date, there is no form of cultivation of the Bushman Candle and the yields are limited to what nature offers. The harvest is therefore wild and almost exclusively carried out by the women of the Himba tribe. Moreover, the resinous bushes are very far from each other, which makes the mission both long and complicated, especially on the hottest days. It also requires a perfect knowledge of the field. The yields are therefore very low and limited to a few kilos per season.
HOW IS BUSHMAN CANDLE HARVESTED?
We strip each Sarcocaulon Mossamedense of the glowing wax that oozes from the dead branches by simply breaking it. This also makes it easier to transport. The pieces at the foot of the shrub are also collected. The Bushman Candle breaks like porcelain. It makes the sound of shells clattering once in the plastic bags used by Himbas women to store the material. They carry them on their backs or attached to their shoulders. This harvest is finally punctuated by the songs that resound in the middle of the kaokoland and its arid expanses as far as the eye can see.
THE BUSHMAN CANDLE OR THE NATURALLY SCENTED TORCH
The Bushman Candle takes its name from the first inhabitants of Southern Africa, the San or the Bushmen, who used the material as a natural torch to light themselves at night. A technique tested and approved by the Himbas who perpetuate this magnificent tradition. It should be noted that the resin only reveals its secrets when heated; a magnificent fragrance both sweet and round, vanilla and benzoin. To see with your own eyes this torch that illuminates while scenting is something unique to feel. It should be noted that the scented torch helps to repel the many parasites and pests in the community’s living space.
THE MATERIAL IN THE HIMBA KITCHEN
The Bushman Candle is also used in traditional Himba cooking. Firstly, it keeps the fire going, simply by throwing a few pieces in the middle of the fireplace.It is also used to smoke and season meat (most often oryx meat).
BUSHMAN CANDLE IN PERFUMERY
Recently discovered and still largely unknown to the general public, the bushman candle does not exist on a daily basis anywhere but in Himbas micro-communities. Nevertheless, it has recently joined the olfactory palette of our Chief Perfumer who proposes it to perfumers in the form of an oleoresin to guide them towards new olfactory paths. In particular, it is very effective as a fixative. Finally, we use its vanilla notes in cold diffusion for a gourmand coocking atmosphere at home.
DISCOVERING THE BUSHMAN
The story of the Bushman Candle is symptomatic of our job as a source. Originally, our first Namibian trip was to lead us on the tracks of the Omumbiri Myrrh in the Kaokoland desert, in the northwest of the country. More precisely in the heart of the Himba tribe. Newly settled, a young Himba woman named Nakalandjara offered to guide us in the immensity of the territory. We left at dawn the next day. Very quickly she stopped at the foot of a small thorny shrub to collect what looked like charred bark. She told us that it was actually a glowing wax called Bushman Candle. We had heard of it before, but we didn’t expect to find it here.
AN ANCIENT TREASURE WITH A WHIMSICAL FRAGRANCE
We were like children. We started smelling the gum, which has almost no smell. But if our profession has taught us anything, it’s that fragrances are fickle. You never find them where you expect them. We remember a dig in Nicaragua where we smelled a strange flower: in the morning it smelled nothing and in the evening it was fragrant. Still it was necessary to have the patience to return to see it. We thus understood that the Bushman Candle would not let itself be so easily amadouer. Back to the camp, we burned a small piece of it. Explosion of flavor! The matter took all its direction, it was fabulous.
AN ANCESTRAL KNOWLEDGE FOR NEW OPPORTUNITIES
The chief of the Himba tribe explained to us that it is used by the first indigenous people of Central Africa, the Bushmen, who used it sometimes as a torch, sometimes to perfume the Onyx meat, sometimes to keep mosquitoes away. The tribe was carrying on the tradition, and we felt that it was our mission to share their story. These people knew more about local materials and smells than anyone else in the world. It was a dream come true. Since then, our discovery has been used in the creation of some very famous perfumes. It is often used as a fixative, and its vanilla, benzoin, incense and balsam aroma is a real asset in the creation.
ON THE SCREEN
- « Sur la Piste des senteurs » Episode 1 : Namibie la myrrhe des Himbas Production : Flair Production, TV5 Monde, Ushuaïa TV Réalisation : Daniel Serre
IN THE BOOKS
- Journal d’un anosmique, « Namibie » par Stéphane Piquart & Albin de La Simone
- Ke-Nako (Il est temps), BD publiée chez Expression Cosmétique, Dessin de Jef, Histoire de Stéphane Piquart
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