Frankincense is a fragrant resin that comes from trees in the Boswellia family, which grow in dry, rocky regions of the Middle East and northeastern Africa. When you cut the bark of these trees, a milky sap oozes out and hardens into tear-shaped amber droplets. These dried droplets are frankincense.

For thousands of years, people have burned frankincense as incense, valuing its rich, slightly sweet, woody smell. Ancient Egyptians used it in religious ceremonies and even in embalming. In many churches today, priests burn frankincense during special services, filling the building with its distinctive fragrance.

You probably know frankincense from the Christmas story, where it appears as one of the three gifts the wise men brought to baby Jesus, along with gold and myrrh. The gift wasn't random: frankincense was extremely valuable in the ancient world, sometimes worth more than gold. Merchants traveled dangerous desert routes to trade it, and kings kept it in their treasuries.

Beyond its ceremonial uses, frankincense has been used in perfumes and traditional medicine for thousands of years. Today it's less common in everyday life, but it remains an important part of religious traditions and perfume-making.