Patchouli-scented HEM incense sticks in a green hexagonal box. The box is about 25 cm long, the sticks are made in India, and the scent is bold and woody.
People tend to love it or not
Patchouli is a tropical Asian plant related to mint. Its scent became widely known in Europe in the 1960s and 70s, when many people wore patchouli oil instead of perfume.
Europe had met it once before. In the 19th century, dried patchouli leaves were packed between cashmere shawls shipped from India, and European buyers came to recognise a genuine Indian shawl by that scent.
Few people feel neutral about it. For some it is a favourite, for others it is too deep at first. If you prefer woody, heavier scents to florals, it is worth a try.
Your first stick
If patchouli is new to you, don't try it in your smallest room. Set the stick in a heat-proof holder, light the tip and blow out the flame once it catches. When you have had enough, press the glowing end into sand; the rest can be relit the next day.
Stay close by while it burns, with the holder away from curtains and paper, and let some fresh air in. Where there are small children or pets, only light it when they are out of the room.
Green box, dark green box
HEM puts patchouli in a green box and musk in a dark green one. If you keep both, the label stops you mixing them up. They smell different too, the patchouli woody and the musk intense.
Keep the boxes somewhere dry, away from the bathroom, as damp sticks are hard to light.